Send in the Rei's
by Kindled Chime
Summary: When Rei confesses she does not know how to have fun Shinji considers it his duty to teach her. He doesn't know why Asuka insists on tagging along though...
1. Chapter 1

Hey there people this is my first fic of any kind. Sadly there's gonna have to be a little OOC because it's a comedy and I kind of had to make slightly sweeping changes to the Children's personalities without much of a backup reason. Hopefully it won't be too bad. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Any flames will be happily ignored. Well maybe not happily, but certainly ignored.

Anyway here's my first disclaimer, oh I'm so exited! And by exited I really mean slightly disturbed that there are dumbasses out there who might actually believe that I own the joy that is Neon Genesis Evangelion. Ah well here we go.

I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the stuff in it.

That was slightly anti-climactic. Meh. Anyway here it is...the moment none of you have been waiting for... have fun!

Drakandrin.

Send In The Rei's.

"BAKA! WAKE UP!" From beneath the soft covers of the bed a single red rimmed eye snapped open, the pupil dialating then relaxing, as something approaching alertness sunk into it's owners subconcious. Groaning loudly Shinji Ikari, designated Third Child and pilot of the Evangelion Test Type Unit 1 rolled over and attempted to burrow deeper into his pillow. For some reason this failed to produce the desired results. Either he was too awake now to return to the sweet embrace of sleep, or it was the continious pounding on his door, complete with verbal accompanyment.

'Probably the second option.' Shinji thought ruefully before sighing loudly and sitting up on the bed. Cradling his forehead in his hand he swung his legs of the bed and landed in an ignoble heap on the floor. Swearing quietly - living with both Misato and Asuka had given him an extensive vocabulary in a multitude of languages, when it came to cursing anyway - he sat up once again and proceded to untangle his legs from the blanket which had snaked it's way around his limbs like a python with abandonment issues. Staggering to his feet Shinji approached the door warily, wondering how to approach the situation. In his position as Asuka's punching bag Shinji had developed amazing survival instincts up to the point where even Section 2 were impressed by his ability to avoid the Second Child's rampages. As such he remembered a situation similar to this occuring some weeks ago. Asuka had been wailing on his door in full force when he opened it to see what was so important...sadly the only thing he saw was a close-up of his red-headed roommates fist. And it had only gotten closer. That little incident had secured a black eye from Asuka - albiet accidental - and numerous jibes from Kensuke and Toji about how 'the demon' was into SM now and whether or not he had enjoyed last nights 'session'. Not cherishing the thought of a repeat performance Shinji stood to the side of the door as he slid it open, safely out of the way of Asuka's flailing fists. When nothing unfortunate happened he peeked around the corner.

Asuka stood in front of his door dressed in her school uniform, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.

"So looks like the baka can learn from experience, eh?" Shinji frowned slightly seeing that his fellow pilot had recalled the incident as well, though it probably amused her more than it did him. "Well hurry up baka, we don't have all day!" Seeing the rising flames of ire in the German girl's eyes he stuttered an apology, ignoring the sigh he gained in return. Then confusion set in, smothering his brain in a warm pink blanket of ignorance.

"D-Don't have time for what, Asuka? There's no school today. It's Sunday."

"I know that Dummkopf! We have tests at Nerv remember? Y'know, the place where the Eva's are? You remember the big robots right baka boy?" Shinji blushed slightly at this, remembering that they did indeed have tests this Sunday morn. He frowning once more thoughtfully.

"Then why are you wearing your school uniform?" Asuka looked blank for a split second, so brief that Shinji just about dismissed it as his imagination.

"I just felt like wearing it today. You have a problem with that, Third?" Her eyebrow twitched slightly as she growled out the last.

'Shit, not the eyebrow. Not this early surely. Usually that doesn't kick in till lunch!' Shinji's fine tuned 'Asuka radar' was bleeping solidly, placing him on defcom 4 alert status. Nothing too serious, but still best not take chances. 'Just nod and smile and run like the buggery.' A sickly smile slapped itself onto the normally morose boys face as he nodded nervously.

"Oh, so you DO have a problem, huh!" Shinji rewound the conversation swiftly and realised what he had just done.

'Defcom 3, Defcom 3 - emergency procedures!'

"Ah, no! No problem at all, I just meant that it looks good on you!" This was it. Make or break time. He'd never actually tried complementing her before, both out of fear and the fact that repeated comments about her beauty from boys at school had only angered the German fireball. However early morning sleepiness compounded by frighteningly early use of 'the eyebrow' had forced Shinji into an unplanned counter-reaction. One he now regretted. 'I feel a Defcom 2 coming on...' Imperceptably bracing himself for the forthcoming tirade Shinji was shocked beyond belief to see a faint rosey blush spread over Asuka's cheeks. Upon further thought he realised that she looked just as surprised as he felt that he had said something positive about her appearance. Not that he ever said anything negative, he thought she looked gorgeous no matter what she wore, he just never said anything. A second more of silence before Asuka turned away quickly, hiding her blush from Shinji.

"Baka-hentai! Just hurry up and get dressed, or I'll go without you." With those parting comments she stalked into the kitchen. Shaking his head tiredly Shinji retreated back into his room to get changed.

Asuka hurried into the kitchen and snagged a piece of toast that had had finished cooking while she had been talking to Shinji. Sitting on one of the chairs around the table she bit into the plain toast trying to fight off her blush.

'I can't believe he said that! Baka-Shinji never says things like that! And me! Blushing!' The redhead's thoughts and feelings for Shinji Ikari had become confused of late and now she found that she was unable to act the way she normally did around him. She was sensible enough to realise that she was begining to like the introverted boy, but was having a hard time understanding why. He still irritated the hell out of her, with his apologies and his refusal to do anything that might in any way suggest he had a spine, and she was damned if she, Asuka Langley Sohryu, was going to attempt to have a relationship of any kind with someone who thought relating to a person meant you were a family member. True she had mellowed significantly after Third Impact but that was still unthinkable. Though it was becoming more thinkable by the day... Shaking herself quickly Asuka attempted to remove any lingering thoughts about how cute he looked when he blushed or how warm she had felt when he had complimented her in something as simple as her school uniform. She had only worn it because she had gotten up late too and had grabbed the first thing in her wardrobe. And he still thought she looked good! Noticing how giddy she was getting, Asuka abruptly slammed her forehead into the wooden surface of the table, ignoring her toast. Having done so and succeeding in calming down slightly, Asuka breathed in and out deeply trying to compose herself.

'I will not become a lovesick schoolgirl over Shinji Ikari! I will not! No matter how cute he look- AAAARGGGGHHHHH!' Another quick forehead/table connection and the last thought faded, content it seemed, to linger in the back of her mind. Sighing loudly, Asuka relaxed slightly, brow still resting solidly on the cool wood of the table. Hearing the solid thunk of Shinji's door slide open the German shot to her feet, leaving the toast on the table, unfinished as she stalked through to the entrance to their home. As soon as he came into sight she unleashed one of her more potent and caustic diatribes. Dammit if he was gonna make her feel like a moron, then he was gonna feel some pain!

Finishing his early morning victuals - foregoing the shower as he would end up having one as soon as the tests were over to get rid of the LCL coating his body - Shinji opened his door and stepped into the corridor heading for the entrance to the flat. Seeing Asuka waiting for him there he hurried, nearly hesitating when he saw the glint in her cerulian eyes.

'This won't end well.' No chance to dodge or evade, he was stuck with her for the duration of the trip to Nerv. When situations like this cropped up, as they did at least once a week, a peculiar finality overcame his thoughts. When nothing could be done about it, Shinji knew he had no choice but to ride out the storm. There was no sense in trying to avoid it. Besides all that ever really happened was that Asuka went on a longwinded tirade, just like the one she had just started, probably involving a couple of half-minded slaps to the back of the head for punctuation. If he was honest with himself he didn't mind Asuka's teasing or mockery nearly as much as he used to, before Third Impact. Playing the role of God with humanity's fate in your hands, even for only a few minutes, makes a person more resilient. Added to this without the constant pressure of Angels Asuka's near fanatical desire to be the best had faded into a slightly more than healthy competative instinct. She still hated to lose, but was no-where near as compulsive about it as she had been around the time of Zeruel, the fourteenth. Consequently her 'abuse' of Shinji had faded significantly, and allowed the two of them to form a friendship, at least on the most basic level.

Thinking back to the events of the Third Impact Shinji recalled his decision to leave the fate of humanity up to humanity, and give each individual a choice. He still wasn't sure if he was shocked over how many remained in the LCL sea, or over how many chose to return.

"SHINJI YOU BAKA!" Snapping back to reality Shinji saw Asuka standing in front of him looking royally pissed off.

'Oh shit. How long did I space out?' he thought frantically, eyes wide, as he stared at the enraged girl, flinching away from her timidly.

"Have you listened to a word I have been saying?" Watching him attempt to splutter a response, Asuka became even more irate. A vein on the left side of her forehead began to twitch and her eyebrow was jumping like a seismometer in an earthquake. "Just forget it moron! Hurry up before I maim you!"

Gulping slightly Shinji obeyed, slipping his shoes on hastily and prepared to follow the Second Child out the door. Or at least he would have if she hadn't growled in anger, seized his hand and dragged him out the entrance. "BAKA!"

As the two of them entered Nerv headquarters, the two teenagers got more than their share of curious glances. Both of them in school uniform on a Sunday, while not unusual in Shiji's case it had been often _and loudly _declared by the Second Child that she wanted nothing to do with the 'tacky crap uniform' if she had a choice about it. Secondly, and somewhat more importantly, Asuka was still holding Shinji's hand and had not let go since their departure from the appartment, a fact he was certain she had managed to forget. True it had been a case of his being dragged to the nearest Geofront entrance, but he had to admit the sensation of holding Asuka's hand had not been unpleasent. It was the way that his shoulder was making a desperate attempt to leap free from it's socket that was unpleasent. Shinji blushed once again as he heard a couple of chuckles from the techs milling around the base at their antics.

'Only three blushes so far, thats got to be some new kind of record.' On average Shinji clocked in at a dozen blushes a day. Once out of a morbid curiousity he had counted every time he blushed during a week and divided it by seven. Depresingly the lowest figure was 10 with the highest standing at 14. This high point had been blown away three weeks ago when he had notched up a awe inspiring 173 blushes in one day. This had been the day Misato had shown the bridge crew her home video of the time they had spent in the hot springs after the eighth Angel. Of course Shinji had never seen the camera because it was hidden in Pen Pen's collar. The same Pen Pen who had spent most of the time at the hot springs with Shinji. Now he knew why. His face twisted into a slight scowl. "Who gives a camera to a frigging penguin anyway?" he muttered under his breath as his fiery fellow pilot continued to drag him through the corridors.

"What did you say baka?"

"N-nothing Asuka, nothing."

"Hmph. Good, baka's should be seen and not heard."

Abruptly she seemed to realise that she was still holding his hand. Letting go swiftly she shot a look at her hand as if it had betrayed her somehow. Shinji decided against asking, sensing that silence was the safest option right now. One nudge from him in the wrong direction and defcom 1 was skipped as they headed straight to all out nuclear holocost. With this in mind he wisely chose to remain quiet about the incident, having no desire to provoke an explosion. In silence the two of them continued throught the corridors until they reached the bridge. As they walked throught the last archway they came upon the three bridge bunnies, Misato and Ritsuko all huddled around a console in the middle of the control panels. Stopping in confusion, the two Children shared a glance and a shrug before approaching their purple haired guardian. Abruptly Aoba's cry broke the silence.

"OH YESSSSSSSS!" Leaping up from his seat he began a semi-spastic dance in front of a chastened Hyuga "I'm the daddy, I'm the daddy, whose the daddy?" Abruptly he became still and cupped a hand to his ear as if he expected a response. After a short pause he resumed his dance. "Thats right I'M the daddy, WOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Both Ritsuko and Misato chuckled at this display while Maya laughed openly. Shinji did note Misato leaning a hand on Hyuga's arm and smiling at him though, along with Hyuga returning the smile. As much of a social inept as he was Shinji was a great people watcher. It had not shown much or been terribly useful during the Angel crisis, but whilst not being one to interact Shinji was more than happy to watch from the sidelines and was very astute when it came to people. Of course during the Angels attacks he had had other things on his mind and was in no mood to people watch - though he often wondered how much of a difference he might have made if he had. Still, now that everything was calmer he had seen Misato and Hyuga become closer, as well as something developing between Aoba and Maya. At first this had confused him, considering what he thought he knew about Maya, but in the end he decided that she either was not a lesbian at all or just swung both ways. Either way she was blushing a whole lot more when Aoba smiled at her, and laughing at his antics more as well.

Finishing his introspection he followed Asuka to peer around their guardian at the console screen. Both developed sweatdrops at what they saw.

"The Dance Dance Revolution Internet Score Page?" Shinji voiced sceptically. He turned at a laugh from Misato.

"Yeah, apparently Aoba bet Hyuga that he could get a better score than him at the arcade on their day off. Looks like he won," His purple haired guardian shook her head "and Hyuga lost big time."

"What did Aoba bet him?" Asuka inquired curiously

"A weeks worth of early shifts." Hyuga mumbled morosely. Both pilots winced. The early tech shifts started at 3am and didn't finish until 12 noon. Not a fun way to start the day. While Asuka had been asking questions Shinji had been examining the results table.

"I see that your the 'Aobamiester 3000'." he called to Aoba who had grabbed Maya's hands and started to dance with her around the room, to the tune of her giggles, only now pausing to acknowledge Shinji before begining anew with Maya as his partner once again. Shinji turned to Hyuga. " So who are you? I don't see you on the list." Hyuga seemed to shrink further into his chair at this question, while Ritsuko's smile turned into a smirk.

"Yeah Hyuga, what was your name, I seem to have forgotten? And where are you on the list?" She asked sweetly. Grumbling something unintelligable Hyuga scrolled down the list for a couple of pages earning him another set of sweatdrops from the teens. Sighing, Hyuga finally pointed to name and leant back so they could see.

"'The Lord of the Dance'?" Asuka burst into laughter at his name and pathetic score. Soon, both Misato and Ritsuko began laughing with her, while Hyuga pouted. Shinji however was still studying the list.

"Hey Hyuga, the person below you is called 'Red Eva 02'. Wonder who that was..." He mused quietly, not noticing Asuka's strangled sqwauk as she abruptly stopped laughing. He also failed to notice the sudden glint in both his elder roomate's and the doctor's eyes. The young German girl however was more than aware of such matters.

"Uh, couldn't be me...um...after all that dancing thing you forced on us for the synch training showed how good I am Misato!" She stuttered out quickly.

"If I remember correctly, you had a lot of difficulty getting that routine right Asuka..." Misato's eyes positivley gleamed.

"Yes I remember coming round to watch you and Shinji train. I must say Asuka if you had not practiced that repeatedly for the entire week I don't think you would have managed it..." The doctor's eyes were no better. Just as Asuka's face passed scarlet and was heading for the border to vermillion country, Shinji's voice rang out one last time.

"And below that one there are two more called 'Purple Babe' and 'Queen of the Magi'. Thats so wierd, huh?"

"Let's see that Shinji." Aoba returned from his impromptu dance session with Maya in tow. Shinji noticed that he still held her hand even when he was leaning over the computer screen, and that Maya leaned comfortably on him as she peeked over his shoulder. "Your right Shinji that is wierd..."

"WELL, thats enough of that. We have tests to run so lets get to it, ok? Ok!" Shinji turned to see Asuka smirking at Misato and Ritsuko, both of whom looked decidedly rosy around the cheeks. Shrugging it off Shinji acknowledged Misato's order.

"Yes Misato," he started to walk with Asuka towards the changing rooms before stopping abruptly, "uhh... Misato?"

"It wasn't my idea! She made me do it! I didn't want to dance!" The new Nerv Commander pointed frantically at the blonde scientist. Shinji paused.

"...Where's Rei?" Misato looked blank, then recovered swiftly.

"Oh...uh...Rei. Right. She's already in the changing rooms." Shinji turned to see Asuka roll her eyes.

"Trust Wondergirl to be early. Lets go baka." She turned and stroad off to the locker rooms. As Shinji moved to follow her Misato's voice stopped him.

"Ah, Shinji about before, those things I said about dancing..."

"Oh yeah, what did you mean by that?" Shinji asked innocently, though Misato could swear she saw a ghost of a smile play around his lips.

"Uh, nothing, Nothing at all." The purple haired beauty smiled unconvincingly, while Ritsuko glared daggers at her, having not forgotten the 'She made me do it!' from before.

"Oh. Right. Ok then." With that Shinji turned and followed Asuka. It wasn't until he was far down the corridor - and out of the range of Misato's wrath - that the bridge crew heard his laughter echo up the passage.

"Little smart ass..." Misato growled under her breath, before catching sight of her blonde friend's heated glare. "Uh...hi Ritsu...Heh?"

Sitting emersed in sepia-tinted LCL Shinji listened to the bickering of his mauve haired commander and his volatile roomate. Not long after the pilots entering the test bodies Asuka had made some comment about Misato's dancing ability improving with a couple of cans of beer. Misato's reply that Asuka had the natural grace of a berserk Eva had sparked the arguement proper. Now, two hours later, none of the pilots had achieved anything. Well perhaps Rei had, but Shinji had spent the time happily listening to the two women snipe at each other. The only boring parts had been when they had slipped into German, but even then Shinji's time at the Katsuragi apartment had educated him in most of the curses in that language as well, so he still managed to follow the currents of the arguement. However it had been a while since anything original had been said and both women were now recycling and re-using their insults. As such he could feel his eyes slowly slipping shut out of the purest form of boredom.

"Pilot Ikari."

"Ahh!" Startled abruptly out of the stupor he had fallen into by Rei's soft tones, Shinji nearly lept out of his seat in surprise. Turning to the small communication window on the left side of his screen he saw the blue haired albino regarding him motionlessly. Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Shinji fought off the urge to blush in embarassment. "W-what is it Ayanami?" He watched as Rei's maroon eyes shifted to regard something off-screen. Following what he thought to be her line of sight Shinji fount himself looking at Misato, her face nearly the colour of her hair as she roared at Asuka through the comm. While Rei remained silent, contemplating her answer Shinji examined her from the corner of his eye. Despite what he had learned about her from Ritsuko, Shinji still found it hard to talk to the taciturn young woman. What relationship he had had with the Rei he had known was gone when she died fighting the sixteenth, and it was as if he was starting all over again trying to build a friendship with this girl. So far his progress had been minimal to say the least. While thinking about this Shinji couldn't help but remember what Doctor Akagi had said about the girl. 'Made up partially of mother and Lilith's DNA', Shinji mused, 'Mother's...does that mean we're related? Hmm, if we were then she would be... my half sister...' Shinji sat ram-rod straight in his plug, eyes wide. Somehow he had never thought of it in quite those terms before, but now that it had occured to him he agreed with the assessment. 'She's...my sister?' Turning now to face the girl on his screen rather than peer out of the corner of his eyes, he pondered this revelation.

"Pilot Ikari." This time though he was still startled by her address, Shinji considered it a minor victory that he had avoided jumping in fright once again.

'Yeah, well done me.' Sarcasm tinged the thought and his lips curled slightly in derision as he re-focused on Rei once again.

"Yes Ayanami?"

"Why do Commander Misato and Pilot Sohryu still live together?" Shinji's eyes widened once again in surprise at the girls question. He did not know what he had been expecting her to talk to him about. It rarely happened and now that he thought about it, never under these conditions. In every simulation or sinc test Rei had always remained silent unless answering a question or required to speak. She had never spoken of her own initiative. As such he had no idea what she would want to converse about, but her choice of topic had perturbed him still.

"What do you mean Ayanami? Why wouldn't they?" Shinji frowned at his inaility to answer her question. He knew few things irritated the girl but being forced to repeat herself was one of the few things he had seen her show displeasure at.

The girl paused.

"They appear to dislike each other. So far they have been arguing for,' her eyes flickered slightly as she scanned the plugs internal clock,'approximatly two hours and 7minutes." Shinji grew a slight sweatdrop at her idea of 'approximatly'. Turning to regard the Commander as she screamed at Asuka's display he chuckled slightly.

"Just because they argue doesn't mean they dislike one another. I think it's like sibling rivalry..y'know? They both enjoy arguing with each other..." Shinji trailed off as he realised who he was speaking to. Talking to Rei about hidden friendships and friendly banter was like talking to Toji about Aristotles philosophical theories. Well actually that was totally untrue. If Rei had trouble understanding something she would either seek clarification or fall silent and ignore the matter. Shinji assumed she followed up the subject at a later date using the information he had given her. Toji on the other hand would assume a blank look and drool slightly, a sign that the brain cells were frying as Shinji and Kensuke watched. "...They do it for fun I suppose." Shinji finished weakly, giving a strained smile hoping that he had answered her question. He felt as though he was doing that a lot recently. In school Rei had been asking a lot of questions lately - well, a lot by Rei's standards - reguarding social interaction particularly, an area Shinji thought himself ill-equipped to advise anyone on. Suddenly Shinji's expression tightened.

'She does ask me questions, doesn't she? I don't think I've ever seen her ask anyone else anything, she always seems to come to me...Does she see me as a replacement for Father? Or is it just because she feels most comfortable talking to me?' With this and his earlier epiphany in mind Shinji promised himself he would make an effort to talk to Rei more in the future, no matter how painful that might be. They were friends once..kinda..and they could be again. 'Maybe this time I can avoid diving onto her naked body.' Shinji cringed noticably as he remembered that incident. 'Dumbass.'

"They do it for...fun?" Rei drew his attention back to her with her implied question.

"Yes Ayanami." He paused then surrender to her silent request for more information. "They both enjoy the arguements. They aren't really angry with each other. Not seriously anyway," he amended quickly catching a glimpse of Misato shooting Asuka's comm window repeatedly with her gun, "so they still live together. It's like a... family." 'A really screwed up family, but, hey, it's better than my last one.' Shinji mused ruefully.

"I don't understand. I have no family. And I have never had the opportunity to have...fun." Rei's soft words hung in the new silence as Shinji struggled to find something to say to this new revelation. Seeing an opportunity he seized it gratefully. It might not be as hard to spend time with Rei as he had thought.

"Rei..." he began cautiously - offers like this were hugely out of character for the boy, "if you like I-I could show you some things that you might think are.. fun." He mentally winced, both at his stutter and in preperation for her outright rejection of his offer. He therefore became confused and mildly hopeful as she seemed to be considering his proposal.

"That would be acceptable Pilot Ikari. When would you suggest we begin?"

'Another difference. She never asked my opinion before.'

"How about when the test are done? We still have most of the day left to us anyway." He replied out loud.

"Very well then. I will join you after the tests are concluded." With that Rei closed her eyes and resumed concentrating on her sinc ratio, even though no-one outside appeared to be paying attention to it either way. Ritsuko certainly wasn't. Shinji could see her holding back Misato with Hyuga's help, trying to prevent her from shooting Asuka. From what Shinji could make out Misato's arguement that she would only wing Asuka, maybe only in the leg, was falling on deaf ears.

The brown haried boy sighed loudly, watching the bubbles float upwards through the LCL in front of his face and leant back in his chair.

'How much longer?"

Half an hour later all three pilots were out of their plugs and, having showered and changed, were waiting for the test results in the debriefing room. However, not even Asuka was that bothered about the outcome, as it was more than apparent that the test had taken a poor second to the verbal brawl betwwen her and the commander.

The three Children were still sitting in the many rows of seats when both Misato and Ritsuko entered the room. Upon their entrance the three stood perfunctoraly.

"Hey guys! You all did great today! Well, probably." Shinji sighed and sat back down. It was hard to respect Misato in her role as commander when he knew her as well as he did. Ritsuko chose to speak now.

"Unsurprisingly we didn't manage to gather any infromation during the tests due to distractions," the blond shot a glance at her old friend in irritation, "so the test will be re-sheduled for later in the week. Hopefully this time certain people will act their age."

"Well you're older than me Ritsu, so it's only natural for me to be more childlike." Misato grinned at the doctor.

"Your only a few months younger than me, so why do you act decades younger hmm?" Misato's grin was abruptly replaced by a dark scowl. Grumbling she turned to the three children, two of whom had grown sweatdrops.

"Well anyway I'll give you three a lift home. Lets go." Shinji's sweatdrop grew exponentially.

"Uh, don't you have reports to file, work to do, commander stuff?" he asked.

"Ah don't worry about it. I always make time for my widdle-Shinji." Shinji frowned as best he could with Misato pinching his cheek. Breaking free he remembered his plans for the afternoon and prepared for the worst.

"Um, actually I have plans already." Asuka's scowl suddenly filled his vision.

"Yeah right Third. And what, pray tell, would they be?" Before Shinji could open his mouth, another answered for him.

"Pilot Ikari has offered to show me how to have fun." Rei's quiet tones silenced the room.

'Shit. Could that have sounded any worse!' Shinji began to sweat as Asuka started to twitch.

"What. The. Hell. BAKA!" Spinning towards the terrified boy Asuka reached out and grabbed his collar, hauling him close. "You pervert! You were going to show Ayanami a good time huh? You sick..sick..BAKA!"

"I-It's not like that I swear! I m-mean I was going to show her how to have fun, b-but not like that! I mean-"

Asuka rolled her eyes and shoved Shinji away watching him stumble.

"You have 5 seconds. Explain."

"AyanamisaidsheneverhadachancetohavefunbeforesoIthoughtIwouldshowhersomethingsthatarefunsosheknowswhatitis." The German girl blinked, as did Misato and Ritsuko who were both watching in amusement as Shinji got tormented.

"Stop dummkopf. Say it again slowly. Baka." Asuka sighed as she added the insult half heartedly. When she had heard what Ayanami said she had flipped. Rage had taken over, and though she was loath to admit it, she had been slightly jealous as well. 'Why would the baka want to spend time with her? He never wants to spend time with me.' She grimaced slightly as she remembered exactly why that might be. Her thoughts were interupted by Shinji's repitiion of his explanation.

"Ayanami said that she never had the chance to enjoy herself before so I thought I could show her some fun things, so she would know what fun is." Asuka didn't miss the timid caste to his voice or the shifting eyes. She thought he looked ready to duck if she went ballistic. For some reason the fact that he saw her that way ...hurt. 'Well I can't let this opportunity pass me by! Mein Gott I'm going to regret this.' She looked at Shinji again. 'Well, maybe not so much.'

"Oh yeah? That doesn't surprise me from Wonderdoll. Well I have good news for you Shinji! I'm going with you. I don't trust a pervert like you no matter what you and Ayanami say. Besides your idea of fun is listening to that SDAT of yours all night. A stone could show Ayanami what fun is better than you."

Asuka felt a twinge of pain again as she saw Shinji sigh and look downcast at her words.

'Does he really want to spend time with her? Or does he just not want to be around me?'

'Shit.'

"Come on Baka, Wonderdoll lets go." Misato watched as Asuka dragged the other two pilots through the door, shaking her head in amusement. Her blond friend looked at her and smirked.

"They grow up so fast, eh, Misato?" Ritsuko watched as Misato's face took on a wistful look. "Did you see Asuka's face? I could almost swear she was jealous for a minute there." The doctor's smirk widened as she saw Misato's reaction to her sly tone.

"Heh, yeah. Poor Shinji. So much for Sunday being a day of rest. He's going to be working all day to keep Asuka happy not to mention dealing with Rei." Misato's expression turned serious as she contemplated the changes in both her roomates. "Your right about Asuka though. I just hope she decides what she wants from Shinji before she loses her chance. Even he won't wait forever."

"What makes you think that he feels anything for her aside from friendship anyway?" Ritsuko asked genuinely curious.

"I don't know. I just hope they don't end up hurting each other."

"Yeah I know, 'Their your babies'!"

"Shut up Ritsuko."

There we go. Chapter one done and dusted. I feel it's best to point out to you now that I will probably update about once a week, unless it's to correct a mistake in the text. If you do find anything in the story you want clarification on just tell me and I'll try to work t into the next chapter, if at all possible. There are some deliberatly vague areas that will remain so until later in the story. See thats me pretending I have a plot.

Alright people now I know it's hard, but I'm gonna have to ask you to review. I know, I know, I nearly never do it either, mostly because i'm not smart enough to think of suggestions that may actually be useful to the author, but still I implore you for your help. I promise I'll review in return if you do. Ok thats a lie and a pretty big one at that, I have no intention of doing any such thing. BUT, I can promise I will think about reviewing.

NB. This is also a lie.


	2. Chapter 2

Well I'd like to thank all the people who reviewed the first chapter. It was great to get that much of a response. Actually I normally get that much of a respnse but it's usually of the pitchfork and scythe variety. This, it goes without saying, is much better. I tried to reply to all and sundry, but I know that some mails didn't arrive for reasons I don't pretend to understand. Even if you didn't get a reply I do appreciate the time you took to review my first chapter. Anyway thats enough from me, so please go on and enjoy the next chapter. Or go on and don't enjoy it. See if I care. Bastards.

Disclaimer: see first chapter cause I ain't repeating it.

The following fanfiction has been brought to you by Yebisu Beer. The only way to kill a brain cell.

Asuka had confidently strode into the lead before they had left the Geofront, and was now marching proudly towards an exit into Tokyo-3, the other two Children trailing, somewhat distantly, behind her. Shinji, still less than enthused at the news that the German girl would be accompanying them, had his shoulders slumped and walked beside Rei quietly. As for Rei she silently followed the others, ready, if not actually eager, to begin her education in the ways of 'fun'. Shinji wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation he found himself in. He had tried rewinding the events of the day thus far and still hadn't gotten any closer to a satisfactory conclusion.

'I got up, wasn't maimed by Asuka, wasted some life in a giant urine filled tampon, offered to help Rei...and then Asuka... _appeared_.' He frowned slightly. Yeah, that was pretty much it, but it still didn't make sense. Asuka never offered to help - well technically she hadn't this time either, she had just... _appeared, _and said she was going with them, but the intention seemed the same - and having her spend time in Rei's company volenteraly was as common as Gendo bursting into song. With Fuyutsuki on backup. And Pen-Pen on the drums. Well that wasn't totally true, Shinji supposed. There were times that Asuka had spent with Rei without complaint. Ok maybe a little complaint but not nearly as much as usual.

'That time after the 9th on the hill, or after the 10th at the ramen stand. Come to think of it she didn't really begin to hate Rei until after the 14th.' Shinji shuddered at the memories of Zeruel, then sighed. 'And after all, we all had our problems then.' Fine then, precedent alone had established that Asuka Langley Sohryu could spend time in the company of Rei Ayanami without casualties or property damage, but that did not explain why she had chosen to do so now. It was going to make teaching Ayanami anything all the harder with his gregarious roomate present, he mused idly.

"Hurry up, you two!" Asuka had reached the exit, and was standing, hands on hips waiting for them to catch up. Behind her Shinji saw the bright sunlight, and a promenade of trees trailing into the distance. As he and Rei got closer to the exit he heard the chicadas chirping ceaselessly, and he shielded his eyes as he passed from under the stone canopy into the open air. "Right, seeing as the baka's idea of fun is attempting to drown the prefecture in teenage angst, I'll be giving the orders here. Firstly we're going back to Misato's so I can change out of this _shiesse_ uniform. You're coming too baka. If I have to be seen with you in public then you're not dressing like that. You can go home and change Wondergirl." After reeling off her orders, Asuka looked curiously smug, before her expression abruptly changed to looking slightly ill, though Shinji wasn't quite sure why.

"I have nothing other than what I am wearing Pilot Sohryu." Shinji watched as the redhead had a mild aneurism. Seeing as his roomate had more clothes than, in his opinion, she could ever have a use for, he easily recognised her loathing for such a lack of interest in fashion.

"What! You can't be telling me that those are all you have! That's a crime against nature." Asuka extravagantly swooned in exasperation and Shinji thought he heard a muffled sob. "There has to be a clause in the Human Rights Act that makes that illegal." The brown haired pilot rolled his eyes discretely.

"This is all I was provided with. It is sufficient. I have never had any need for any other clothing." Rei's tone was flat, but Shinji, who knew her better than most, heard the faint quiver of curiosity in her voice.

"Sufficient? It's atrocious!" The children had begun to walk now and Shinji found himself tuning out Asuka's attempt at an explanation off the subtlties of women's fashion, complete with wild and often near spastic arm movements. It wasn't that he disliked spending time with Asuka. On the contrary, he very much enjoyed her company as long as certain items or personages were not present. If any of the things on his self composed 'List of Doom' were in the immediate vicinity however it would save time for all concerned if he just shot himself in the foot before he even began. Then shot himself in the other foot. And once more in the crotch. It would probably hurt less in the long run too. So as long as Asuka wasn't;

Tired,

Hungry,

Bored,

In the prescence of Touji or Kensuke,

In the prescence of anyone, anywhere, ever,

Slightly damp,

Offended by the sun being too bright,

Forced to eat Misato's cooking,

Forced to look at Misato's cooking,

Or forced to physically subdue Misato's cooking, via the medium of net, knife, sword or flamethrower, all was well and peaceful.

Shinji sighed as he imagined slotting a clip into Misato's gun and pointing the barrel groinwards. Today was gonna _suck_...

Asuka strode confidently ahead of her two fellow pilots, focused on the square of light before her which herelded an exit from the Geofront. It gave her time to think, and it put some distance between her and the other Children.

'I can't believe I volenteered to do this! Teaching Wondergirl to have fun! Easier to have Misato swap to sparkling water.' Just because certain wimpy male pilots had been scrambling her brains lately, was no excuse for stupidity. Her face dropped as she thought about how Shinji had volenteered to spend time with the introverted pilot of Unit 00. He had looked...disappointed when she said she was going to accompany them. That...pained her. While not exactly at ease around Rei, Shinji seemed ready to permenantly flee when in her company, like a hare that knows the wolf isn't really asleep, always ready to make a break for it if the predator stirrs. Only a few months ago she would have been happy with his reaction. A healthy dose of fear made it easier to keep the sheep in line. But now she found she no longer wanted to be seen by him that way. She wanted him to see her as a...friend. She was tired of being angry. She was tired of being alone.

Asuka scrubbed at her eyes quickly, hating herself for the wetness she felt on her arm, and thankful she had outpaced the others. Reaching the exit, she stepped into the bright sunshine, blinking rapidly, trying to accustomise her vision to the sudden light. Feeling the warm air stir around her bare arms and legs, Asuka brushed her red hair out off her eyes and took a deep breath. Tears were something she didn't want to explain. When she was certain she looked as normal as...well normal, she turned to face Shinji and Rei.

"Hurry up, you two!" She watched as the two approached, noticing Shinji put his hand up to shade his eyes from the glare. Rei didn't react, but Asuka thought she saw a flicker in the pale girls eyes that indcated she had noticed the slightly red area around the German's eyes. "Right, seeing as the baka's idea of fun is attempting to drown the prefecture in teenage angst, I'll be giving the orders here. Firstly we're going back to Misato's so I can change out of this _shiesse_ uniform. You're coming too baka. If I have to be seen with you in public then you're not dressing like that. You can go home and change Wondergirl." Two birds with in one stone, not only did she get to change out of this crappy uniform, but she got some time with Shinji alone, before the debacle that would inevitably be the rest of the day began. Hmmm...if Shinji thought she looked good in the damn uniform, how much would he like her in -. Abruptly she noticed she was getting giggly at the prospect of dressing up for her baka roomate. The realisation made her feel vaguely ill.

"I have nothing other than what I am wearing pilot Sohryu." Asuka heard a quiet popping sound and red blanketed her vision. She assumed she had popped a vein.

"What! You can't be telling me that those are all you have! That's a crime against nature." Asuka felt like fainting, and choked back a sob. No one with so finely tuned a fashion sense as the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu could fail to be pained by such a statement. And Asuka considered her standards to be higher than most. After all she hardly had anything in her wardrobe. "There has to be a clause in the Human Rights Act that makes that illegal."

"This is all I was provided with. It is sufficient. I have never had any need for any other clothing." The quiet albino's response nearly gave her an apoplexy all over again.

"Sufficient? It's atrocious!" As the three of them began walking Asuka began to explain the delicate and subtle intricacies of female fashion. As she spoke she occasionally looked past Rei to stare at Shinji walking on her far side.

'Why him?'

The command posts were curiously quiet compared to the raucious carcophany that had raged only 10 minutes ago, when the new commander had exchanged 'heated words' with the pilot of Evangelion Unit 02. Aside from the occaisonal fizz and spark that erupted from the damaged console Misato had shot there was little other sound in the control room. Shigeru had finished his victory dance, and rubbing his victory in Hyuga's face, only because Hyuga's shift had ended just after the children left. Therefore the two remaining bridge bunnies were occupied by their normal passtimes. Shigeru was playing air guitar with a passion and Maya was reading a romantic novel, in between shooting her fellow tech glances and blushing faintly. Ritsuko and Misato were passing the time as any high ranking officers in a near secret military organisation would do when idle;

"I'll buy Bond Street."

"I hate Monopoly! Not only do you have all the utilities, you own two thirds of the board." Misato sat back and pouted sullenly as her lab coated friend chuckled, and moved her metal avatar - a small cat - across the board, before sipping her pitch black coffee.

"This was your idea Misato. The only other board games we found in Gendo's office were Scrabble and that human scale chess board in the lower levels." Misato grimaced as she remembered setting free the prisoners who had been forced to play the part of the chess pieces under the former commander. They had all been eager to escape their captivity, though some siezed freedom faster than others. After all the pawns could only escape one step at a time. As for the other game...

"Oh no we are not playing Scrabble."

"You can't still be sulking over what happened back in college? That was years ago!" Ritsuko's voice was equal parts shock and humor. During their second year of college a drunken Scrabble match had ended abruptly when both she and Kaji had refused to allow Misato to use 'Asahi' as a word on a triple word score, using the rather valid reason that it wasn't a word, it was the name of a beer. This was compounded by their later refusal to allow the somewhat more esoteric word 'zxflblmuflble'. Once again Misato's arguement - this time that after as much to drink as she had had, _every_ word in the dictionary looked like 'zxflblmuflble' - was dismissed. They had never played scrabble again.

"It's not that! I just know better than to play Scrabble with a scientist." Misato complained as she rolled the dice and moved her tiny penguin figurine around the board. "You probably know words that the dictionary hasn't heard of." Ritsuko's invariably mocking reply was lost as Shigeru actually began paying attention to his console, and nearly fell off his chair when he found that Nerv had been being hailed for 15 minutes.

"Er, Commander, it looks like we have an incoming communication." Misato perked up slightly at this news. Her normal day now was spent playing internet mahjong. Anything to break the monotony was a pleasent change.

"Who's it from?" Misato stood from her postion at the new Commander's desk, smaller and closer to the bridge bunnies station than the old Commander's desk had been and Ritsuko moved from her seat opposite Misato to discretely obscure the Monopoly board from the view of the new video screen that had been installed, hanging from ceiling in front of the command centre. Misato had decided that they needed to give an open face to face view with anyone contacting them rather than the old audio only system. The fact that it got great pay-per-view was not relevent she claimed. Or at least it would after she found a way to sneak a 500 channel subscription through accounts.

"A UN representative m'am." Shigeru responded, reaching over to Hyuga's normal seat to flick an old manga under the console and out of sight as he spoke.

"Put him on then." A vastly irritated man of middle years and receding hairline, appeared on the screen. "Hello, I'm-"

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO BLASTED LONG? I've been here for 20 minutes now, waiting for a response!" Misato cringed slightly at the verbal onslaught, and scowled silently at Shigeru. The tech looked abashed and tried to avoid her gaze.

"Er we've been experiencing some technical difficulties with our communications equipment. Still working out all the bugs. Sorry about the wait." Misato smiled apologetically at the man, squinting as light from an offscreen source bounced off the man's head and created some lens flare. Maya giggled quietly and glanced at Shigeru whose head had dropped lower and lower with every word the purple hair commanding officer had uttered. "What can we help you with?"

The man seemed to take a hold of himself, and visably drew himself up, shining the light reflecting of his head driectly into Dr Akagi's eyes. Ignoring her surprised sqwauk the man began to speak.

"Since Nerv was officially re-enstated and designated with the duties of Japanese Public Safety, through which the Evangelion units will be used in battle to protect the nation of Japan in cases of international conflict, it was the UN's plan to provide you with a liason officer. This man has now been selected and..." Misato remembered the disbanding and subsequent re-enstatement of Nerv. It seemed that the Evangelions were weapons to great to be given up easily, and aside from the always possible threat of another Angel attack, the Japanese government had decided to use Nerv as a Japanese defense force, independant of the JSSDF. Misato had been promoted to Commander, as both Gendo and Fuyutsuki, had disappeared and all the other members of Nerv had been re-enstated. It was only because Misato had repeatedly assured Shinji that no one would be foolish enough to challenge Japan when they had three Evas that the young man had stayed and continued to pilot. She knew that the JSSDF wouldn't let them run around totally unsupervised and supposed that this liason officer was their way of keeping tabs on the Nerv employees. "...has arrived. I'm sure you will work well together, Commander Katsuragi. Again." With that final comment the screen blanked out. Misato exchanged confused looks with Ritsuko.

"Again?" The sharp click of a spotlight echoed in the room, as the pillar of light illumninated the spot where Gendo Ikari's desk had once been, and the sound of gears gnashing and grinding heralded the appearance of two figures, one sat behind a desk and the other stood to his left, all rising on a hidden platform. Gasps came from the four people remaining in the command centre as the spotlight illuminated former Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki and former Commander Ikari, still in the same poses that they had always been in. The only significant difference was that both of them wore white cloth pants and tops with black lines running down the length of their clothes in the traditional American jail uniform. Both came complete with round cloth caps of the same design, though Misato thought that Fuyutsuki's might have been at a slightly jaunty angle. On closer inspection Misato noticed that Gendo's tinted glasses also had the black and white lined pattern running vertically up and down the lenses. Shigeru was the first to speak and it seemed his shock had left his brain out to lunch.

"Where have you two been?" He asked incedulously. Eying the monopoly board on the table below them Fuyutsuki replied tonelessly,

"We went to jail. We went directly to jail."

Behind his black and white gloved hands Gendo smirked.

Having arrived at the Katsuragi/Ikari/Sohryu household the three children were getting changed. Upon finding that Rei had no other clothes it was deemed largly pointless for her not to accompany the other two to their apartment and wait for them to change. Asuka had even agreed to lend the albino girl some of her clothing, her desire for her companions for the day to look halfway normal outweighing her distaste of sharing her clothes. Rei waited in the living room while the other two changed, Shinji returning first, assumedly because Asuka was sifting through her extensive wardrobe for herself and Rei. As Shinji exited his room, now clothed in a pair of dark jeans and a red t- shirt, he came across Rei in a staring match with Pen-Pen. Raising an eyebrow and forming a small sweatdrop, he edged towards the two of them, curious. Standing next to the couch he saw that Pen-Pen was propped in Rei's lap, her hands holding him in place so that he would not fall. The penguin stared at her wordlessly. Rei stared at him wordlessly. Neither of which was particularly surprising.

Asuka had scoured her wardrobe once, twice then three times, each time wrestling with herself. She wanted to look good, that went without saying, but did she want to look good for the same reason that she always had before or did she want to look good for Shinji? The redhead surveyed her fabric filled domain. Her bed was virtually hidden under numerous dresses, blouses, turtlenecks and various other apparel. Her hands tightened into fists and she almost screamed in frustration. When had this happened? When had she gone from never thinking about the baka, to thinking about him a little, to thinking about him a alot, to not being able to go five minutes without thoughts of him intruding? And why did she care anyway? Shinji hadn't changed. He was as wimpy as always. He still refused to stand up for himself. He still apologised for everything. He still cooked and cleaned for her...he still spent time with her when she asked him to. No one else had done that. She collapsed onto her knees, skirts of her bland uniform gathering around her as she slumped forward. Feeling the soft wetness of tears trickle down her cheeks, she gritted her teeth and tried to hold back the sobs. Alone in her dark room the girl muttered to herself in a broken voice.

"He's kind and he's gentle and he wouldn't want anything to do with me. I'm tired of pretending I don't care and I'm tired of being alone...Mama..." No-one heard her when she started to cry.

Shinji intrigued by the near athletic patience that both participants in the staring match were exibiting, had continued to watch the two of them. Eventually though the silence had begun to unnerve him. Only the occaisonal blink indicated life in the two people - well one person and a penguin - who sat before him. Glancing uneasily at his watch he saw that Asuka had been in her room for twenty minutes. Using this as a convenient excuse to leave the silent pair to their own devices, he made his way to his team mates room. Hesitating outside the door, Shinji thought about the possibility of a mauling if he disturbed the turbulent girl. Steeling himself against the possibility and preparing to adopt the foetal position he timidly rapped on the door with the back of his knuckles.

"Asuka?" Shinji was startled when the door slid open abruptly, leaving him staring into Asuka's bright blue eyes. The sight captivated him so much he forgot to flinch. Then he noticed the slight redness about her eyes. As he debated silently whether to enquire, Asuka roused herself out of the stupor she seemed to have fallen into, and frowned at him.

"Move baka. Your in my way." All thoughts of her puffy eyes were forgotten as he hurridly stepped out of her doorway, not wishing to aggrivate her. He watched as she stepped past him, clad in a light red skirt that came to her knees and a cerulian blouse, another skirt and blouse hung over her arm as she entered the living room only to stop suddenly as she saw the albino girl examining the family penguin. Shinji followed her into the living room and heard her tell Rei to get changed in the bathroom. After placing the penguin on the floor, Rei gathered the bundle of clothes thrust at her by Asuka then silently made her way to the bathroom.

"Your welcome Wondergirl." Asuka muttered sarcastically. "Some people have no social graces." Spinning she saw Shinji staring off the way that Rei had gone and addressed him sharply. "What are you staring at baka? Wishing you were in there with her? Mien Gott, a baka and a pervert!" Snapping out of his reverie Shinji began to protest stutteringly.

"N-no! I-I was just wondering...What kind of childhood my father gave her...that she has nothing but a school uniform to wear... and doesn't know what fun is." Privatly Shinji wondered if he would have turned out the same way if he had ended up staying with his father, instead of being sent away.

"Feh, it comes of being a doll. No sense, no feeling." Asuka snorted dismissivly.

"She's not a doll!" If Asuka was suprised by Shinji's outburst he was in shock. He moderated his voice, refusing to believe an expression of hurt flashed across her features when he defended Rei. "She just doesn't know any other way to be. I think...I think father raised her to be this way. I think she just needs some friends... someone to talk too..." He looked at his feet embarassed by his words, and didn't see Asuka's expression soften, then shift to hurt once more before she could master herself.

The soft thunk of the bathroom door sliding open caught both their attention. Both Children watched as Rei Ayanami stepped out uncertainly, left arm folded across her stomach to hold her right elbow. Her eyes would not meet theirs. Seeing the vulnerable young girl before him wearing a white skirt the same as Asuka's and a soft pink blouse, Shinji spoke.

"You look nice Rei." He was surprised when Asuka spoke up as well.

"Yeah Wondergirl, you don't look half bad." Rei looked up when they had both spoken.

"...Thank you.. both. I...have never worn clothing like this before. It feels... strange."

'She really has changed,' thought Asuka, 'before she would never have made a comment like that. Is it because of Shinji?' She turned to look at the boy surrupticiously.

'Is it because he treats her as a friend?' She heard him trying to put the albino girl at ease.

"It really suits you Rei." The quiet girl bowed her head again, in embarassment. There was silence in the apartment for a few seconds before Shinji spoke again. "So, uh, what should we do first?"

"I'll tell you what we're doing. We're going shopping. I haven't bought something new in days and Wondergirl here obviously needs to expand her wardrobe. And you can be our pack mule Shinji. Perfect! What could be more fun than shopping?" Shinji showed no expression other than a discrete wince, but was secretly thinking that sending a round of hot lead groinward bound would certainly be less painful than going shopping with Asuka.

Upon arriving at the closest thing Asuka had to a church - the Tokyo-3 mall - Shinji was hauled around numerous shops, boutiques and fashion stores, with the outspoken redhead dragging Rei around behind her, forcing her to try on various outfits and garments. Steadily the bags and boxes that he carried were building up, but nothing he couldn't handle. Asuka seemed to be showing remarkable restraint. He had expected to be crushed under the weight of her Nerv card powered spree, a mountain of clothes containers and shoe boxes serving as his monument and memorial. However the unexpected had happened. Shinji found he was activly enjoying himself. Asuka was amusing herself dragging Ayanami around the stores and advising her on appropriate dress, and Rei soaked it all in like an inquisative child, absorbing even the information she didn't understand.

'Maybe it won't be hard at all to show Rei what fun is.' Shinji mused as he trekked to the next store, following the two girls. As he entered the huge department store Shinji nearly gaped in awe. He'd never seen such a large clothes store in his life. It would take Asuka hours to work her way through the store in it's entirety.

"Baka! Hurry up!" Snapping his attention back to his companions, he began to wade through the clothes racks towards them. Rei was examining some fine gowns, feeling the material slide through her fingers, while Asuka was sifting through garments on the hangers opposite. Gently, the blue haired introvert lifted a powder blue dress off the rack and scrutinised it, peering at the fabric through ruby eyes. After watching her for a while Shinji approached, seeing the German girl was still distracted.

"Do you like the dress Rei?" He asked hesitantly. Rei lifted her head and met his eyes.

"It feels soft...pleasent." As he watched she ran her finger tips down the blue silk. He smiled.

"Why don't you try it on Rei? The changing rooms just there." He indicated an area behind a pillar to the left of them. Rei hesitated then shook her head slightly.

"I would have no use for such a garment." She did not stop stroking the silk, and the boy thought he saw a longing in her crimson eyes. Shinji paused, and then did something he was exceptionally poor at. He lied through his ass.

"Actually, Rei uh, Misato mentioned going out to a restaurant, um y'know the four of us. You could use it for that. It'll be like a party but with less people. Misato said she would like you to come." He forced a smile and tried desperately not to sweat. Rei stood frozen, analysing this new information before fixing her gaze on him. It was all he could do not to flinch.

"Would you like me to attend this party as well Pilot Ikari?" Despite her mild tone, it was obvious this question was important for Rei. Shinji wondered if she had ever been invited somewhere for being Rei Ayanami, not Pilot Ayanami. Depressingly he felt the answer was probably no.

"-"

"What party Wondergirl?" She did it again. She had..._ appeared._ The German redhead materialised next to Rei. "There's a party?"

_'Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcraohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap.'_

"Pilot Ikari has informed-" The quiet girl was interupted by a loud sigh from the German.

"Look Wondergirl, He's your friend ok? So just call him Shinji for crying out loud. Mien Gott..." She muttered the last under her breath. Rei paused and looked to Shinji for confirmation. The dark eyed boy gave a small smile to her unspoken question, backing up Asuka's proclamation.

"And you Pilot Sohryu? Do you wish me to address you by your given name as well?" Asuka looked momentarily flustered, trying to decide whether Rei thought this made them friends of not.

"Uh, uh, yes of course, Wondergirl! Why wouldn't I?"

"I do not know. Why wouldn't you?" Growling quietly and throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation Asuka turned to Shinji.

"What's this about a party third?"

_'Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcraohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap.'_

"Uh, Misato said, er, the four of us should go out for a meal. Like a small party, neh?" He was sweating rivers now. Lying...'bending the truth' was easy with Ayanami, even he could pull it off, but lying to Asuka? She took nothing at face value, totally unlike Rei. Asuka drew herself up and cocked her leg, standing with one hand on her hip.

"She never said anything to me." Asuka's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Uh..she mentioned it a couple of days ago after you left for school early." Asuka gave him another skeptical look, but seemed appeased for the present. Muttering about needing a dress to go out in the German retreated back to the section where Rei had gotten the silk gown.

"You did not answer my question...Shinji." Shinji returned his attention to Rei, praying he could get in touch with Misato before Asuka did.

"What question Rei?"

"Would you like me to attend this party?" Shinji smiled at the girl.

"I would like..you to come to the party." Rei nodded and left for the changing rooms with the dress without comment. Shinji hoped it was the answer she wanted to hear. Musing to himself he wondered over to wait by the changing rooms. He was curious to see what the dress would look like on Rei. The changing rooms were tiny cubicles set next to the wall, with a row of chairs set opposite, presumably so the men could wait for their girlfriends/wives. A series of full length mirrors decorated any spare wall surface. Folding himself into one of the low chairs Shinji settled in to wait. He didn't have long. The door to the cubicle directly in front of him creaked open revealing...someone who certainly was not Rei. Rei had not been carrying a crimson dress, nor did she have flaming red hair that hung down past her shoulders. "A-Asuka?"

The girl looked momentarily taken aback to find him sitting in front of her cubicle, and hesitated. Swallowing slightly she stepped forward and gave a little twirl in front of Shinji.

"Well third? What do you think?" Her voice had a wierd hitch to it. She almost sounded...shy. Shinji was speechless. She had removed her sync-clips, allowing her hair to cascade in a waterfall down her back. The dress was red, only a few shades darker than her hair, held up by two ribbons that were tied in a bow behind her slender neck. The dresses neckline was modest, and hung just under her knees at the hem. She looked gorgeous. And her blue eyes seemed to sparkle.

'Wow. I'm gonna need to answer soon. Wow. Can't keep staring. Wow. Will look like idiot. WOW.' Shinji rapidly tried get his brain to provide his mouth with something to say. All he heard was a series of footsteps getting further away and a door slamming in the distance. Then a rather tinny voice echoed inside his head;

'I'm sorry, your brain is not in right now. Please leave a message after the beep and i'll get right back to you...BEEP.'

'Ok, that didn't work. Time for Plan B; open your mouth and hope like hell something good comes out, all the while being prepared to run like the buggery.'

Shinji opened his mouth;

"Your beautiful."

She blushed.

I don't own Scrabble or Monopoly obviously.


	3. Chapter 3

Well ladies, gentlemen, children of all ages, various genetically enhanced super pets and disturbingly intelligent cacti everywhere, it's that time again. I'm going to be serious for a second and say to all and sundry that the pairing for this tale are by no means set in stone, but I do have vague ideas of a Rei/Shinji fic which should be coming in the future.

Please send all cash donations to the address on my profile. Thankyou.

For disclaimer see first chapter.

Inside the small, cramped changing stall Rei Ayanami stood, silently stroking the blue material of the dress she had entered with. She had been standing silently doing the same thing for five minutes now, hearing and ignoring the conversation of the Second and Third Children, paying no real attention to their words, while her finger repeatedly trailed across the soft fabric. She had never worn such a dress before. She had never worn anything other than a school uniform or a plugsuit since her first incarnation, so she believed. She vaguely remembered her recollections of her first life being hazy when she was living her second. Now she was in her third and apparantly final existence her memories of her others were near non-existent, aside from specific occasions.

_Red cheeks. Blushing, watching the brown haired boy's gentle smile as he continued to stuff useless objects dropped on the floor in apathy into a black garbage bag. His eyes. Blue eyes._

_'It's only trash, right?'_

_Speaking words. Words she had never used before. Perhaps the other had, but never her. Not the her she was, rather than the her she used to be._

_Another time. Hearing shrieks, screams of the boy who had been kind to her, spoke to her like a girl not a doll. Calling his name in fear and anxiety, as he continued to sink into the darkness. Feeling a ache in her chest as contact was lost. As he was gone. _

_Another time. The bestial roar of the Test Unit as it ripped apart it's enemy and devoured the remains, while she lay in her decimated Unit, unable to aid. Learning he was gone. Again._

_Another time. Pain. Pain beyond all imagination. Abruptly ending, her Eva falling to the ground. Him, there, in front of her, eyes glistening and pleaing for her to be safe. Asking her to smile. Something she had never done before. Not really. Not like she did for him. Perhaps the other had, but never her. Not the her she was, rather than the her she used to be._

_Another time. Pain. Hazy words spoken in aknowledgment of her orders. She would do it again. It was her purpose. It was his will. There was nothing else. Falling. Being cradled, even as she sobbed in pain, protected from more agony. Hearing more words, spoken in a broken voice that trailed of as she fell into darkness._

_'I will pilot it...'_

_Another time. Floating in sepia fluid, suspended in liquid limbo. Syncing with the Dummy Plug. Opening her eyes at his words._

_'Rei. We're done here Rei. Lets get something to eat.' Watching him through the glass. The commander's face...so like his. So much that she couldn't help but compare them. And find the commander wanting...again and again and again and again..._

_Another time._

_Another time._

_Another time..._

_The things she did for him...things she had never done before. Perhaps the other had, but never her. Not the her she was, rather than the her she used to be..._

She found herself, slumped against the wall of the stall, fingers curled into claws, clutching convulsivly at the soft fabric as she silently gasped. She forced herself to stand, to stop the faint trembles that wracked her frame, to unhook her fingers from the dress. Breathing thickly she stared down at the garment. Blue. Like his eyes.

She blushed. That was new. Asuka _never_ blushed. It just didn't happen. It was like Rei suddenly starting to break dance in class, or Touji postulating on Kant's Deontological Arguements, or Shinji going through one sodding day without something mentally scarring happening. Shinji had long since come to the conclusion that child services in Japan sucked major ass. Abandoned, sent to a foster care home who despised his presence, then an alcoholic slob who tormented him out of boredom. Go Japan. Yay. Needless to say Shinji had been in one of his more ascerbic moods when he had reached this conclusion. To be honest the only person in his home who didn't order him around like a houseboy was Pen-Pen and that was only because the infintesimaly small spine that he possesed refused to allow him to be owned by a penguin.

He stared at the redhead a while longer, before realising that if she caught him she'd smear him across the wall. Luckily she seemed pre-occupied with the floor, seemingly staring at the strapped heels she was wearing. Red, the same as the dress. Embarassed Shinji looked to the side, a blush erupting across his features and fidgeting wordlessly.

Asuka fought the urge to clasp her hands in front of her like a little girl. Or to preen. He thought she was beautiful. She wasn't sure what was shocking about the idea that he found her attractive. She was nearly floored that he had said it out loud, but for some reason she was just as shocked that he felt that way at all. She knew she was beautiful. The avalanche of love letters from school boys (And one girl. Now _that _scared her shitless.) who thought with their crotches proved that much, even had she not already known from her time in university in her homeland. But it had never mattered to her really whether they thought her beautiful, as long as they noticed her. She desired praise and aknowledgment, but was not overly concerned what it was for - except when it came to Eva. Somehow, whether Shinji felt she was pretty was important to her, in a way it had never been before, not even with Kaji. She was falling faster and faster and she didn't know how to stop. From one who didn't care how others percieved her to be fixating on one boy's opinion was a staggering change and one it took time to adjust to. Shinji perception of her had become important in a way none of the other boys - and one girl - in her school could compare to. Breaking out of her pre-occupation with her strapped heels, which were red to match the dress, she fought to regain her equilibrium.

"Hey baka, what was that crap about going out, the four of us? You might fool Wondergirl, but so could a plank of wood and I know better. Misato never mentioned anything about it to me and she definatly would have. So whats the deal, Third?" As she spoke the German girl cocked her leg and leant a hand on her hip peircing him with her semi-heated glare. Which made it perfectly clear that 'semi-heated' could easily turn into 'heated' could easily turn into 'scorching', could easily turn into 'BEAM OF BURNING DEATH'. Swallowing past a suddenly arid throat, Shinji decided to go for the truth.

"Ah...well, Rei looked like she really wanted to try on that dress, um, but needed to justify it somehow. So...I lied..and said that Misato had suggested going out to give her a reason." At the last Shinji flushed once again, and found himself unable to meet his roomates eyes, instead finding the wall truly fascinating. Asuka silently appraised the boy, face softening now that he was no longer looking.

"That was sweet of you." Asuka resisted the sudden impulse to slug herself in the face really really hard and settled for wincing instead and glaring at the ceiling. Both teens were blushing so much now that a rosy glow was eminating from the door of the changing rooms, mildly disturbing passing customers. Darting a glance at Shinji out of the corner of her eye she saw him still determindly staring at the wall. Knowing it was safe to do so Asuka smiled gently at him, unconciously clasping her hands in front of her. He was embarassed, and she had complimented him. He couldn't look at her, and the only way she could look at him was when he couldn't see. But she was still happy.

The curtain two stalls down abruptly opened, attracting the attention of the two flourescent teens. Rei stepped out slowly, holding her arms across her middle, looking for all the world as if she was trying to sooth her stomach. Looking up she spotted the others watching her, Asuka curiously and Shinji with concern. Eyes flittering uncertainly between the two, her soft voice sounded strained, something Asuka had never heard before outside a battle.

"How...does it look?" Her crimson eyes met Asuka's and the redhead shook seeing a terrified girl despiratly fighting for control, a child who wanted to flee the more than anything else. That look scared Asuka witless. It looked too much like her. Rei seemed to sway on her feet, as if everything she was depended on the answer to a question about a dress.

"It looks good Rei." Asuka turned to watch her fellow pilot smiling reassuringly at Ayanami, who immediatly stopped trembling at his words. Did Shinji see how much those words meant to her? Was he speaking beacasue it was the truth or becasue any other answer would have destroyed the girl? Asuka wasn't sure, she had no idea how perceptive the boy was at things like this.

"And you Sohryu...Asuka? Do you also think it looks...good?" Asuka was brought back to the present by the albino's quiet voice. Snapping her attention back to who stood before her she answered honestly.

"Yeah. Yeah it looks good on you Wondergirl. You should get it." She did look good in it, that was true enough. It was powder blue and reached to her ankles, the thin straps crossing over before slipping over her shoulders. Regardless of what the truth had been though Asuka would have answered the same way. That look in Rei's eyes, that look of all encompassing fear, wouldn't let her say anything different. Rei inclined her head in aknowledgment and retreated into the stall once more, assumedly to change back into the clothes that Asuka had leant to her.

'_'What was that? Wondergirl...afraid?'_ Asuka turned to look at Shinji in consternation. _'Is this how he sees her? She was terrified...Is this what the Commander made her into? What did he do to her?'_ For once Asuka could muster no irritation at the taciturn girl. She was hard pressed not to be swamped by pity._ Without the old bastard around any more, whatever he did to keep her that way isn't happening anymore. No wonder she's changing. And Shinji was always there for her. He always answered her questions. He always talked to her when everyone else ignored her and didn't want to spend time with her. Like he does with me._ Suddenly afraid, Asuka stared at the boy, uncertain._ 'Just what are we to you Shinji? One girl who always insults you and another who ingored your existence 90 of the time? Why are you so nice to us?' _Asuka blinked as she saw Shinji's face contorted into a scowl. His hand, always twitching open and closed in distress was clasped into a tight fist, knuckles strained white where the flesh was stretched across bone.

"What did he do to her?" The brown haired pilot spoke in a whisper, but it still carried clearly to Asuka's ears in the quiet. He was clearly far more perceptive than she had ever thought.

_"Shinji couldn't relate to someone with a manual!"_

Only the sounds of shoppers moving past outside intruded. Asuka found it apt. No matter how surrounded by people they were, the three of them were still alone. Only they, and perhaps Touji a little, knew what it had been like. They had only each other, and the only one tying them together was Shinji. Always Shinji. Hesitantly Asuka layed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tenseness of his muscles, hearing him swallow in anger. They stood in silence and waited for the last of their party to finish getting changed. This was all she could do.

oooooo

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Needless to say Misato was in one for her less pleasent moods, and was making this plain and clear to all peoples within a 8 block radius of her position. The fact that she was a considerable distance underground didn't make much difference. The former sub-commander shifted almost uncomfortably as his younger companion spoke from behind clasped hands.

_'He only does that because he can't grow a proper beard and doesn't like people staring at him. Twat.'_ Fuyutsuki had mentioned on more than one occaison to his former student that he looked more than a little like a tit when he did that, but that not detered Gendo. The only one who had ever been able to get him to shave had been Yui. With her gone Gendo had immediatly gone into a facial hair fiasco, or a 'chinfro' as Fuyutsuki prefered to call it. Sighing quietly the old man mused on the fact that none of the Ikari breed new how to use a hair brush. Both father and son had untamable hair and Rei seemed content to wander around looking like she had just been struck by lightning, though she pulled it off with a little more grace than the men. Resisting the urge to chuckle and run a hand through his neatly combed greying hair, he surrupticiously fingered the inside cuff of his right sleeve, feeing the small comb he had secreted inside. One person in the entire organisation had to look like they knew how to groom dammit.

"Both I and the former sub-commander were tried and found guilty of crimes against humanity. After the trial and our subsequent incarseration we were offered a parlay. The UN needed a liason to keep an eye on the Nerv organisation. Someone who had knowledge of the inner workings of the institution. For some reason they felt that two men imprisoned for trying to artificially speed up humanities evolution a couple of billion years were appropriate candidates. I believe Space Cakes were involved." The sound of Fuyutsuki sighing was apparant in the suddenly silent room. Silent except for the occasional soft 'pop' of Commander Misato Katsuragi having a haemorage in pure unadulterated fury. If Ritsuko hadn't confescated her sidearm after her mostly joking threats upon the Second Child's personal safety, it would be time to send Gendo Ikari's bullet riddled cadaver down the corpse hatch into Central Dogma. Fuyutsuki too, just for being too well groomed. Smug git. At this point Misato realised that she was probably overreacting a tad. Killing the Uber-Bastard was all well and good, but justifying murder on the grounds that the victim was looking too damn spiffy was going to take brain cells she was no longer sure she possessed. In addition she had seen Ritsuko stiffen as soon as it had become apparant who the liason was. Although her old college friend was long over any emotional connection to the elder Ikari, Misato knew seeing him once again was the last thing she would have wanted. Ritsuko had been the happiest of all when the former commander of Nerv had disappeared. With her friends feelings to consider making her an accessory to a double murder was probably not the best course of action she could take.

"Our roles here are purely superficial. We are only needed in case of actual battles wherein the Eva are used, to co-ordinate between yourselves and the JSSDF and the UN. As such we hold the courtesy ranks of Major, but exist outside the command structure of Nerv. While that does give you no direct authority over us, implied authority exists, while we ourselves have no power over anyone working within the Nerv superstructure." Fuyutsuki noticed Gendo's left eyelid flick, his only sign of discomfort with this arrangement. Having little real power was a sore point for the younger man, but he had been unable to negotiate for more from the UN council, Space Cakes or no. They hadn't budged on the matter even when the bong had come out.

"Fine." Misato managed to master her emotions, and her abject desire to cause physical harm, in the leiu of Fuyutsuki's clarification of the situation. "In that case you're welcome to take back your old office. I never use it anyway." Gendo inclined his head exactly 5 degrees signaling his aknowledgement. Fuyutsuki sighed once again.

'_Twat.'_

"I believe a game of chess is called for Sensei." Fuyutsuki's eyebrows rose at the suggestion from his former student. It had been a while since they had the opportunity for a good game of chess.

"My apologies, gentlemen, but we released your games pieces. You may have to make do with scrabble." Ritsuko's voice was far from pleasent. Gendo stooped noticably at the news, while his older colleague narrowed his eyes in displeasure. They were _not_ going to play scrabble. He knee still got sore on cold mornings and he wagered Gendo still had the scar from their last game. 'Gendofication' was not a scrabble word. It was not dammit.

As the platform on which the two men had arisen slowly began to sink back below the floor unto a lower level the elder of the two men could be heard speaking.

"We can catch most of the pawns again at least. They can't have gone far."

While the rest of the bridgr crew remained slightly stunned Shigeru once again took centre stage. And it seems that his brain was still out to lunch.

"Well, shit me." Maya burst out laughing, nearly falling off her seat when the long haired bridge bunny swiveled his chair to stare at her in surprise. Both Misato and Ritsuko developed small sweatdrops and sighed. Suddenly Ritsuko groaned loudly and began to cradle her head in her hands, eyes screwed shut in anxiety. Her purple haired friend turned to her in concern.

"Whats wrong Ritsuko? It's not about seeing that semi-bearded ass again is it?" Ritsuko shook her head mutely. Her feelings for Gendo had long since shriveled up and died, and while seeing him again was far from pleasent, it was not what had made her groan.

"No, not that. He's going to start 'Gendofication' again." Since the removal of Gendo Ikari as Nerv's chief of operations Misato's 'unique' touch had begun to be reflected throughout the base. The stark corridors were brightly lit, and bare hallways decorated with fake plants - sunlight was hard to come by underground - and the occasional painting. Considering the size of the Nerv base, some picture sellers were now millionaires. Another part of the 'Misato makeover' was the frequent vending machines for Yebisu and curry ramen. These were less popular. All in all the base was much different from the blandness of the former commanders reign.

"What the hell is Gendofication?" Misato asked, the image of another of Commander Ikari's plans reaching out to blanket the world in shadow and despair. And possibly take away her vending machines. There were priorities after all. Wordlessly Ritsuko stalked to the console near Maya, who had calmed down, and began to type. Misato followed her, curious and a little worried. After a few seconds more typing the bottle blonde doctor stood back and gestured to the overhead screen. Above them a graphical represantation was taking form. What looked to be a leather bound book appeared on the screen with the words 'Nerv Brand Dictionary' scrawled across the front in golden script. The book proceeded to open leading to an archaic search engine, surrounded by Doric and Ionic columns and Cherubs posing with AK47's rather than the traditional bow and arrow. Maya and Shigeru face faulted. Ritsuko leant down once again and typed in 'Gendofication' with her left hand. Upon clicking enter the screen was replaced with a black background and flourescent yellow letters informing the viewer that the Magi were 'searching'. At the bottom of the screen super-deformed chibi versions of the former commander and the former sub-commander proceeded to dance merrily. Both bridge bunnies, now back in their seats, looked ready to fall out again. Misato stood with her mouth slightly open, obviously struggling to come to terms with what she was being shown.

Abruptly the frolicing chibis were replaced with a full screen view of Gendo Ikari in full scowl. Misato jumped slightly in surprise hearing a sqwauk and a thump, announcing Maya falling off her chair in shock. The leaden tones of the man rang out through Nerv.

"Word found." Quickly the man was replaced with lines of text detailing the Nerv Brand Dictionary definition of Gendofication:

_'Gendofication:  
1- To be altered in accordance with the preferences of the Gendo.  
2- To attempt to imitate the style of the Gendo.  
3- To 'get Gendo', as in 'lets get funky.'  
Lit. to become a sour life hating bastard, with a fondness for destruction._

"You're shitting me right?" Misato turned to her colleague. "You mean basically he's going to try and turn this place into the depressing hell it was before?" Ritsuko nodded ruefully. Misato grimaced, slightly disturbed that that man had produced a Nerv dictionary for the sole purpose of making 'Gendofication' a word. And because he kept refering to himself in the third person. Silence reigned in the Command Centre.

"Well that sucks."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The three Children walked side by side down the sidewalk outside the shopping centre. Having changed back into the cloths that they had worn out of the katsuragi appartment it was deemed that since they had more to do during the day it would be impractical to carry the shopping around until they were finished. With this in mind they had instead opted to have the cloths delivered to their respective addresses. Without the bags to carry the children had wondered aimlessly, trying to think of something to do next which might be considered fun. After a little thought Asuka had suggested the arcade, adding a couple of comment about how she was going to wipe the floor wioth the two of them. As they approached Shinji descerned two familiar figures at the entrance to the video arcade.

"Hey Shinji! Buddy!" The young man soon recognised his friends Touji Suzuhara and Aida Kensuke ahead and wondered if it was a blessing or a curse to meet the two now. Seeing Asuka scowl in blatant displeasure the answer seemed obvious. Jogging lightly the two boys quickly approached the trio.

"Hey Shinji, Ayanami." Touji's face darkened as he turned to Asuka. "Satan's favourite daughter." The echoing crack of Asuka's palm slapping the boy's face resounded in the the street. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR DEMON?" Shinji sighed as one of his closest friends butted heads with his room mate, while Kensuke recorded the encounter on his ever present video camera and Rei watched impassivly.

oooooooooooooooooooo

In the still silence of the former commander's office Gendo Ikari sat with his old second in command at his side. Peering at the room from behind his black and white striped glasses, he re-examined the room that had been the seat of his power for over a decade.

"The room is adequate. There is no need for Gendofication."

"Thats not a word dammit!"

o

As you may have noticed there was not as much humor in this chapter as in the previous two. I appologise for this and will try to rectify this in later chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

Sigh. It's not fair. I wanted to write a short two, maybe three chapter story and be done with it. It wasn't much but it was a dream. Now, much akin to dreaming of a muffin and recieving a wedding cake, it has grown out of all proportion. We've started to talk about feelings. FEELINGS DAMMIT. I don't do that kind of thing. It should not be taking this long -sob. So now I'm chained to this computer, like the prehistoric typing monkeys of old, reaming off idea after idea. Kill me.

For disclaimer see first chapter.

Kill me.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The dark interior of the video arcade. There had been a time, Shinji recalled, when Asuka had vowed that she would never set foot inside the nest of 'sunlight fearing perverts'. In all honesty mental images of Asuka wielding two plastic handguns and laughing maniacally in front of a 'Time Crisis' booth had been all the encouragement Shinji needed to be thankful for her absense. However recently she had been dragging him to the arcade more and more. 'Dragging' being the operative word. Her fetish for videogames shone through abundantly when she demanded he take her to the arcade. She claimed that someone trained in an Eva should be able to hold his own in a virtual game. Which was true in a way. Even without the sophisticated targeting mechanisms provided by Unit 01, the boy was a pretty good shot, and fighting games were easy to pick up for someone who had to learn button combinations to operate a biomechanical war machine larger than a building. Shinji smirked quietly at the image of Asuka controling her Eva with a joypad. He got even more practice at home after his redheaded comrade had convinced Misato to buy an antiquated games machine. Now at least two nights a week were spent kicking virtual ass. Or having his virtual ass kicked. All in all he spent much more time with Asuka then he ever took the time to realise and most of it pleasent, except for her virulent German curses whenever he roundhouse combo'd her.

As the boy followed behind the bulk of the group he watched Touji and Asuka continue to argue/threaten to maim each other. He remembered the first time he had beat her. Not really a matter of skill as it was pushing button after button frantically, finally pummeling her into submission. He bit back a smile when he remembered her outraged face, glaring at the screen where her fighter lay bruised and broken. He had been sure she was going to suplex him or something but all she had done was glare at him and growl that she wanted a re-match. Despite all other changes to his life Shinji still didn't have the most fulfilling of social lives, and he had started to look forward to the nights he spent with Asuka. Not just because she merely provided company, but because he actively _enjoyed_ her company. He enjoyed watching her smile with success, and looked forward to those times he would pound her and make her gape incredulously. She looked beautiful no matter which she was doing. He blushed at the thought, glad the low lighting of the interior hid it from view. His eyes flicked to his left, where the silent albino girl walked beside him. Having garnered looks of incredulous incomprehension initially from his two friends when he explained they were trying to show Rei what fun was, they had simply shrugged it off and decided to help out. Presently they were trouping through the arcade to the smaller niches at the back, where the games favoured by the Three Stooges and the Bride of Lucifer resided.

"Shinji...what is the purpose of this place?" The young man had to strain to hear the girl's soft voice above the laughter and sounds of virtual mayhem. Turning to watch her properly he saw her looking around her, examining each gaming cabinet and niche with curiosity.

"These are virtual games, Rei. People play them for fun." He was at a loss to really explain the concept behind a video game better than that.

"They are like our simulation training with the Eva?" The girl turned to regard him and her eyes showed none of the fear they had shown in the dressing rooms of the department store. Shinji sweatdropped slightly at her comparison before answering.

"In a way. The way it works is the same, but you do it for fun rather than to train." Shinji found it strange that he was able to talk to her so freely, something he had barely managed with the _other _Rei.

_'Was it because of the way she acted in the store?' _In a way it was hard to be nervous around someone who had seemed terrified of everything. The young Ikari wondered if she was like that with everything or just the unknown. _'It must be things she's never done before. She's always seemed confident at piloting, and in school. Actually it always seemed that she just didn't care, but I've never seen her afraid before.'_ The group had arrived at their prefered area and Shinji was treated to Asuka demanding a game against a Touji, who had made some comment about her inability to hit the broad side of an Angel. The others watched, Kensuke with his camera, while Touji got creamed brutally by Asuka. At the end of it the jock fell to his knees and moaned extravagantly about the Underworld cursing him, before Asuka threw her plastic weapon at him. After that the others split away, heading towards favoured games. Touj made for a flight sim, while Kensuke gleefuly headed towards a sniping booth. Asuka remained where she was and returned to making short work of pixilated alien scum. Rei, seeming unsure what to try hesitantly walked towards Touji who was now strapped into a fake cockpit, and finishing feeding his money into the machine.

Watching the boy manipulate the joystick and flight control levers dexterously, with skill brought through long practice, Shinji found his eyes drawn to the metallic gleam of Touji's left arm. Replaced by the best technology Nerv could provide Touji was able to walk once more and his arm gave him the majority of his capabilities back. It would never be as strong and his leg would never be as fast but it was the most they could do. Shinji saw Rei also examining the prosthetic arm as the plane Touji controlled banked and rolled to avoid enemy fire. His face a mask of concentration, Touji didn't notice their scrutiny.

"Come on Wondergirl, we're here for your benefit, so try something." Shinji turned to find Asuka behind him smirking at the blue haired introvert. Rei turned from her examination of the Forth Child's arm and considered. Finally she returned to the game Asuka and Touji had played first. Picking up the blue plastic handgun she briefly examined it before slipping her finger onto the trigger and looking at the screen with expectation. After a couple of seconds Asuka sighed and slipped 100 Yen into the machine prompting it to begin. Kensuke, finished in his sniping sim came to observe while Shinji guided Rei through the start up. By the time the girl had started the first level Touji had joined them as well, muttering sourly about mountains not getting out of his way.

The game Rei had selected pit the player against increasing hordes of rabid cyber-demon aliens, and continued until their complete demise or the player's character was decorating the screen in varying shades of red. Shinji wondered how proficient she would be considering her Eva training. The brightly lit screen dissolved into a dank corridor filled with shadows, a different level from the one that Asuka and Touji had played. Rei's character began edging forward, his movement determined by the computer, while all the player had to do was shoot. Abrubtly a face appeared taking up the majority of the screen, red gimlet eyes shining in a visage of rotten flesh and prompting two high pitched, schoolgirl like shrieks from the other two Stooges. With no expression, Rei pulled the trigger and blew the creature's head off. Slowly the screen brightened to show more of the enemy climbing out of nooks and crannies, some climbing out of coffins on the floor. As soon as they appeared however, Rei destroyed them, each with a headshot. In under a minute the level was finished. Rei turned back to her companions, to find Shinji and Asuka looking at her blankly, still in shock, while Touji and Kensuke were huddled in a corner in fear of the zombies and trying to look in every direction at once in the darkness of the arcade.

"How long have you been able to do that?" Asuka demanded finally finding her voice.

"Since I can remember."

"Well why the hell didn't you when we fought the Angels!"

"Few of the Angels had heads."

"Ah...ha..."

Touji snapped his fingers and disengaged himself from Kensuke, who was still hugging him in fear.

"Hey Shinji, isn't there a shooting game in the Winning Section?" He asked, refering to the area where games machines were kept that allowed the player to win money or prize tickets. Shinji nodded his head, looking confused. Touji always complained that they were rigged so never played them. An almost feral grin slunk onto his friends face.

"Why, what are you thinkin...oh no." Laughing maniacally Touji tucked Rei under one arm and sped off to the Winning Section, kicking up clouds of dust as he ran. Kensuke gave the other two a wan smile before following at the same pace. Vaguely the Second and Third Children could hear Touji screaming something about being a billionaire. Rei bore this with stoic eqinimity.

"Looks like it's just you and me then Third." Stiffening to the point of rigor mortis, Shinji slowly turned towards his redheaded...'friend', a sickly grin slapped across his face.

_'Erm...Yay?'_

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shigeru snuck another look at Maya, who was walking at his side. The woman's cheeks were still a rosy red, and had been since they had started their lunch break together. Aoba wasn't sure whether to be overjoyed that they had this time to spend together or not. Relations between himself and the senior bridge bunny had become... interesting of late. Seeing the T-junction in the hallway ahead which led to the caffeteria approaching, Shigeru decided that the time to speak had come.

"Um...Maya?" He swallowed loudly when the cute tech turned to look at him, before switching her gaze to the floor then back to him again. "Uh..if you're not busy...would you like to go-" Aoba abruptly stopped, staring at the junction ahead. Maya looking confused and slightly frustrated followed his gaze, before unconciously grabbing the long haired man's arm in disquiet. Standing in the middle of the T-junction stood Gendo Ikari. Now clad in his Nerv uniform the man had his back to the two techs and was apparantly staring at a painting of a idilic landscape that hung on the wall. It was one of Misato's little additions to the decor along with the pale blue floors and soft pastel colours of the walls that had replaced the sterile white of the 'Gendo Era'. He appeared to have not noticed Maya or Shigeru and they were both content to have it stay that way. Slowly backing away from their occupied former superior the two of them flinched violently when his head suddenly whipped to the left, then the right, looking for all the world as if he were attempting to keep himself hidden from observers. After a couple more seconds of this Gendo,totally ignoring the third passageway directly behind him, reached out and plucked the painting off the wall and stuffed it into his jacket. This done he resolutely turned to his left and calmly walked towards the caffeteria. Goggling at the man the two Lieutenants leaned their heads around the corner of the junction, Maya's head directly beneath Aoba's. With the painting and the frame stuck inside his jacket Gendo appeared to have a rectanglular section coming out of his midriff, and was in all about as inconspicious as dropping an N2 mine on an All Faiths Church picnic. They proceeded to watch him as he turned the last corner towards the caffeteria, passing a fake potted plant on the floor at the turning. As they continued to stare a hand reappeared around the corner, grabbed the plant by it's plastic stalk and abruptly yanked it out of sight, leaving only a few plastic leaves to float to the ground. Before they touched the cerulian floor the hand whipped out once more and plucked them out of the air before disappearing again.

Still wide eyed the two techs relaxed against the wall they had been peering around, breathing out noisily. Suddenly Shigeru realised that Maya was still clinging to his arm and he smiled hugely as she blushed when she noticed too. Dismissing Gendo Ikari's blatant insanity and not giving her a chance to release him, he slipped his arm around her waist and began walking her towards the cafe.

"So, how about dinner on Friday?" He grinned again when she agreed, quietly giggling before going maroon again.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Looks like it's just you and me then Third." Asuka watched as he turned, looking as if someone was holding a gun to his head. That same flash of aching pain she felt before speared her when she saw his reluctance. _'Can't he even see me as a friend?'_ Swallowing discretely, she grabbed his arm and dragged him to a random booth to distract him. _'I want him to see me as a friend. I want him to see me.'_ She glanced sideways at the boy, watching him drag his free hand through his hair leaving it tusseled and boyish. _'And I want to see him.'_

"C'mon baka. You still need to beat me at 'Battle Grade'. It's getting easier to kick your ass everytime." Veering away from the random booth she had been dragging him towards and nearly slamming him into it in the process, the gregarious teen ploughed her way through a group of couples, flushing when one guy made a quiet comment to his girlfriend about 'young love'. She didn't let go of Shinji's arm though. Yanking him into place next to her she slipped her money into the machine and began to pick her character. Shinji resigned to his fate, though not really complaining, did the same. After a few seconds Asuka selected her personal favourite, a lithe, disturbingly buxom russet haired woman wearing jean cuttoffs and tight shirt with metal plated gauntlets. Shinji never had the nerve to ask if the reason Asuka liked her was because they looked so much alike. Copying her, Shinji picked out the character he most often resorted to. Clothed in a ripped blue gi with long black hair tied in a ponytail his avatar did his pre-fight warm up, punching and kicking the air with virtual abandon. The match wasn't as uneven as Asuka had made out, neither of the two players landing any significant hits. Their health bars inched down, first one than the other slipping a fist or a foot past their opponent's defences. Asuka tried to move into a combo, but Shinji backpeddled quickly and took advantage of her dropped guard to punch her in the head slaming her into the wall of the arena. That move took a noticable chunk out of Asuka's vitality, and Shinji felt the urge to laugh when he heard her growl. Finally they were down to their last legs, his opponent having snuck in a few more punches than he and managing to equalise the battle once again. Shinji reflected on his earlier thoughts. He could see now how Asuka would react to either victory or defeat and while he thought she was beautiful either way, he much prefered to see her happy. Bringing up his guard a little too late the teen watched as Asuka's character smashed him through the far wall, leaving him thoroughly beaten. Erupting with joy Asuka leapt up and down, doing her little victory dance, eeirily echoed by her character on screen. He smiled watching her honest exhuberation at having beaten him. Seeing her honestly happy was a rarity, as she all to often hid behind a mask of indifference. Shinji had come to cherish the times when she was like this. Her eyes shone brightly and she looked like a little girl, overjoyed at simply winning a game.

_'Well she probably would have won. It could have gone either way, but she's still better than me most of the time.'_

Asuka, now calmed down from her 'victory', seemed unaware that she was genuinly smiling.

_'He let me win. I saw him hesitate over the guard button. Does that mean he likes me? Why else would he lose when he knows I'm gonna make fun of him for it?'_ The possibility that Shinji might not be so far out of her reach was her real reason for celebration. Vaguely she thought that she should have been angered by the boy letting her win, but found that she couldn't muster the ire to care. Instead she grabbed his hand and began pulling him to another game.

"Winner pays for the next game, right baka?" Shinji sighed as he followed her, but did not complain. This was the rule they - well _she_ - had established since they first started coming to the arcade together and although it had left him broke many times he thought it was fair in it's own way. Watching the girl in front of him, her red hair trailing behind her and a exited smile on her face he couldn't help but smile as well.

Neither noticed that she hadn't made fun of him the way she usually would, or that she was pulling him along by his hand rather than dragging him by the arm.

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Silently Gendo Ikari surveyed the hallway, slightly cradling a large bulge in the left side of his jacket.. His eyes dragged themselves from the pastel coloured walls, soft reds and pinks, to the sky blue floors. Fortunately there were no plants or paintings in _this_ hallway. Suddenly his questing eyes spotted an indistinct box shape at the far end of the corridor. His stoicism never fluctuating, the elder Ikari approached the object, finally revealed to be a vending machine. Blinking with slow mechanical precision Gendo found it to be a vending machine with only two products for sale: Yebisu beer and Extra Strong Curry Flavoured Ramen. Upon closer examination the Curry Ramen packaging had the Nerv logo and a picture of Misato Katsuragi giving the peace sign and winking. Underneath the picture shiny silver script proclaimed 'NEW Nerv Brand Curry Ramen. Strong enough to kill an Angel'. After appraising the machine for a few more seconds, the silent man slipped a couple of coins into the machine and ordered a Yebisu. After retreaving the beverage he cracked it open, ignoring the foam that exploded from it's top and soaked his glove. Taking a pathetically small sip he intoned:

"I'm alive again. Woo." Whipping his head to the left he re-examined the corridor. "The machine may stay. The rest requires...Gendofication." With that he reached into his jacket and pulled out a 3 litre open can of white paint and a paintbrush. His eyebrow twitched behind it's sepia tinted lens when he found that the open can had spilt paint down him.

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Rei remained fixated on the screen, neither blinking for flinching as she terminated legion after legion of the snarling undead. She had progressed to the shotgun and had found it curiously satisfying, at least until the rocket launcher had been unearthed. The sensations she was experiencing were similar but different to those she dealt with when firing the same weapons in her Eva. The absence of life threatening dangers were obviously a factor, as was the impossibility of recieving any pain during this encounter. Rei fought the disturbing twitch in her lips as four of the zombie undead were liquidised by her rocket. Ignoring her infintessimal twitch was made slightly more difficult by the Forth Child capering in the backgound, hopping from leg to leg and clapping his hands over his head like a monkey, while screaming about buying Hokkaido with his winnings. Kensuke continued to record it all on his camera. Rei's ruby eyes widened a fraction as her character hefted a huge mechanical contrivance onto his shoulder and the words 'MINI TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPON FOUND' scrolled across the screen, a find much appreciated by the crowd that had gathered around to watch her. The twitch in her lips suddenly became much harder to control.

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Asuka proceeded to pull Shinji the length of the arcade, with him ending up paying for most of the games they played. However after winning a racing sim, by neatly nudging Asuka's car through a crash barrier and off a cliff, they both decided to get drinks and just wonder around the arcade for a bit. Despite his recent win Shinji payed for the drinks, and was rewarded by his companion with an enquiring look. It seemed she had expected him to hold her to her loss. Grinning sheepishly Shinji shrugged as he handed her a can of soda.

Asuka found herself smiling back at him, as she took the proffered can from his hand and fell into step beside him. Sipping her drink, Asuka remembered the feel of his soft hand as she pulled him along, and fought to contain her blush. It occured to her that the two of them wondering through the arcade alone would look like a couple, like that man from before had said. It might even be seen as a date. The rosy hue of her cheeks flourished. Strolling through the groups of happy people, most of them couples, she found that this thought did not upset her. Being seen by other people together didn't concern her at all, she was slightly stunned to realise. Looking at the floor ahead of her and biting her lower lip softly, she slowly shifted closer to the boy, till their hands were almost touching.

_'Maybe he wouldn't want anything to do with me. Maybe all the people who think we are a couple will always be wrong. But right now I just want to pretend...'_

Both teens flinched slightly when their knuckles brushed past each other, but continued to walk on, ignoring the contact. Hesitantly Asuka reached out to take his hand again, stopping when she was only inches away, before sighing quietly and withdrawing her hand. Breathing deeply Asuka allowed her hand to touch his once again as she stepped closer, until her entire arm was pressed against his. Feeling him tense initially then relax, Asuka continued to walk with him through the crowds, saying nothing to call attention to their touch. Abruptly Shinji began to laugh, startling Asuka. Wordlessly he pointed to their left, and moved to the side slightly to allow her to see. He had directed her attention to a dancing game, which she watched in confusion for a couple of seconds, before noticing the frantic figure gyrating wildly on the dance mat. Makoto Hyugga, having gone home and then traveled to the arcade, was dancing. Perhaps not the dictionary definition of the word 'dancing' - after all no dictionary associated swinging yourself round like a headless chicken having a seizure with dancing - but it appeared that that was the effect he was attempting to achieve. Shinji watched the girl hold her hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter at her colleagues spastic, rythm-deficient motions, before she noticed Shinji looking between her and the machine a little too knowingly. To her despair she flushed violently, while glaring at him, daring him to make a comment. She turned even redder when he smiled timidly at her. Suddenly Asuka was shoved from behind by a surge in the crowd of people, sending her stumbling into Shinji. Stumbling forwards, Asuka found her cheek against his shoulder and an arm around her waist to steady her and she froze, feeling the boy's chest rise and fall as he held her against him, out of the way of the roiling crowd. Slowly she moved her head and looked into his eyes.

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Shinji was frozen. After an uncharacteristic bout of chivalry, which had led to him paying for Asuka's drink, they had strolled genially around the arcade. Asuka's hand had brushed against his several times, and each time he fought to avoid jumping in fright. Finally when she moved so close to him that they constantly touched, he had forced himself to relax. After all in this crowd she probably just wanted to stick close and not get lost in the flow. So he chose to ignore the contact.

_'This is almost like a date.'_ The thought came unbidden, and made him feel uncomfortably warm. He remembered that he had once wanted more from Asuka than just friendship, but had never expected anything to come of it. He didn't see that anything had changed, it was still totally unlikely, but he could dream for a while right? Since Asuka was already pressed up against his arm there was little more he could do, but he didn't shift away from her even though there was room to do so. Casting around for something to fill the suddenly awkward silence between them he caught a random blur out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to follow it and couldn't help but laugh when he saw Hyugga trying to do the splits on a dance mat. Seeing Asuka looking at him curiously he pointed Hyugga out. Seeing her dissolve into laughter warmed him and he relaxed totally, before flicking his eyes between her and the dance machines. _'I wonder which one she tried out. Can't believe she did that badly. If this is what Hyugga looks like now, God help someone who got a lower score.'_ He looked back to the girl one more time and saw her glaring at him half-heartedly, seeming to dare him to make a comment. Not bloody likely. No homicides today thankyou. He smiled timidly at her, to show he had no intention of saying anything and was startled when she sheepishly began to avoid his eyes. Suddenly she was thrust towards him, slamming into his chest. Stumbling slightly, his arm instinctivly wrapped around her waist bringing her closer to him. He held her like that a few seconds longer, keeping her out of the way of the people behind her. He felt her shift against him, and turned slightly to look into her eyes. Shinji was frozen. It seemed all he could focus on were her shining blue eyes and her rosebud lips. Vaguely he was surprised that she wasn't wailing on him and bouncing him off the floor enraged, but it all seemed far away, someone else's concern. He found himself inching towards her, saw her eyes widen a fraction, before echoing him. His arm was still around her waist and he noticed her hands on his chest, where they had fallen when she braced herself against him when she was pushed. _'Will it be like last time? Will it be different, without her hand holding my nose shut?'_ The two of them became closer... closer...

"S'cuse me young un's." Both children snapped out of their respective trances and swiveled their heads to stare at the man who had spoken. While they were not as close as before they still hadn't completely disengaged, mostly because they were surprised at the interuption. A wizened old man, with a thick mustache and a janitor's cap on, stood before them, smiling bemusedly.

Asuka completely disengaged herself from Shinji and clothslined the man, elbow dropping him once he was on the floor before ankle locking him for a couple of seconds while he howled in pain and screamed for mercy. Finally she German suplexed the poor man with the unfortunate sense of timing, before lifting the nearest gaming cabinet over her head and using it to crush what was left of him. Breathing deeply, Asuka slumped, her eyes still burning with rage. _'That'll teach him to interrupt me. Serves him right for such lousy timing. That outta show anyone else who wants to...get...past?'_

Shaking her head abruptly she dispelled her daydream and found herself looking at the janitor's face, now closer to a rictus than a smile, with sweat apparant on his brow. Shinji tightened his grasp around her and edged them both out of the man's path, while he merely hurried past, glad to be away from the pretty girl who was glaring at him like he killed her kitten.

Glaring at the retreating man, Asuka abruptly realised that she was still snuggling up to Shinji. Quickly disentangling herself, she frantically looked for something to do or say to distract the boy. Quickly her eyes settled on a small photo booth, situated on the far side of the hall from the dance mats.

"C'mon Shinji. I want to try something." With that she darted off. Shinji stood stock still, before gently touching his lips with his fingers. Before the man had interupted... the soft brush of Asuka's lips... "C'mon baka!" Stapping out of his trance, Shinji hastened to follow after her.

"Coming!"

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"I will beat him this time. C'mon Aoba, double or nothing!" Makoto was muttering under his breath as he concentrated all his effort into putting his feet on the right pads at the right times. It seemed designed to enfuriate though. The combinations the game provided required you to have three feet! Or at least to be able to do the splits in mid air. Thinking about earlier in the day, with everyone laughing at his exspense didn't bother him so much. They were all worse then even he anyway. But all those early shifts! Makoto groaned loudly, both at the fate of his mornings and at missing another step. With renewed vigour he spun his body and swung his limbs, trying to whirl faster and faster.

The exact point where Hyugga's feet actually left the floor, he never quite remembered. It was all a blur really. When he came to, he was flat on his back on the dance mat, staring upside down at a small child. The young girl knelt next to his face and poked him in the forehead, before turning to her mother who was standing nearby.

"Mommy, is that man killing dancing?" Makoto smiled wanly.

"Yes, honey, he is." Hyugga snorted, then relaxed, letting his head bounce off the steel grating of the dance mat ring.

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"Pleeeaaaassssssseeee?" Maya Ibuki held her hands clasped in front of her face and made her eyes as big and shiny as possible as she pleaded. Shigeru sweat dropped and began to back away.

"Must resist the puppy eyes...must fight..." He muttered to himself feeling the eyes of Misato and Ritsuko on his back. He was pretty sure the tech that had replaced Hyugga, Shoji, was watching discretely as well. He groaned as Maya cranked up her pleaing a notch. He didn't think it was possible to make eyes that big and shiny. "Urge to fight fading...fading...rising!...gone." Aoba slumped his shoulders dramatically while Maya squealed in glee and clapped her hands. He heard the chuckles from the rest of the bridge crew. Brightening considerably after Maya gave him a peck on the cheek, he smiled as she skipped out of the room on an errand for Doctor Akagi.

"So you're going to see the 'chick flick' then?" Ritsuko sounded amused, remembering his adamant refusal when Maya suggested they went to watch a new film she had been wanting to see before they went to dinner. Misato was grinning ear to ear.

"Yeah, well...she really wanted to go and..." Shoji cleared his throat, making it sound disturbingly like the crack of a whip. Vein popping out on his forehead, Shigeru rounded on the tech. **"WHAT YOU SAY!" **

"Nothing." Squeaked Shoji from his foetal crouch under the console. Any futher comments/threats Shigeru might have been about to make were cut off by the sound of the door whooshing open. In stepped Commander Ikari, the left side of his uniform stained white, with a double barreled shotgun in his hand sliding what appeared to be tranquiliser darts into the chambers. He had a small painted wooden duck strapped to his head. The bridge crew looked at Aoba expectantly.

"Oh, no." The long haired man shook his hands in front of his face. "I said something stupid last time. You say something." With that he turned and sat at his console, surfing the net for someone to play Worms Online with. Misato sighed feeling it was her turn to take one for the team.

"Major Ikari, why are you covered in white paint?"

"What white paint?" Ritsuko sighed deeply.

"Fair enough. What are you doing with the gun?"

"I intend to hunt down my pawns. They cannot have gotten far."

"Of course you do. And the wooden duck?"

"Camoflage."

"Of course it is." Misato sighed, echoing her friend. With that Gendo nodded to the crew and left. Misato wandered over to one of the newly installed vending machines in the corner of the command centre. Slipping two coins in she ordered a couple of beers, one for herself and one for the doctor. As she made to turn away the image of Gendo Ikari chasing a life sized chess piece through the streets of Tokyo-3, brandishing a shotgun and a small wooden duck made her turn back and feed several dozen more coins into the machine. And ask Ritsuko for any small change she had.

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Having switched cabinets, Rei Ayanami was finding that there was a curious... satisfaction in sniping a pixilated terrorist through the head. Much more understated then nuclear yeild weaponry. Not that nuclear weapons didn't have a time and place, she thought, remembering the technicolour explosion that had taken place during her last gaming experience, but this was much more skillful. Touji Suzahara, who had long since fallen into a largly insensible slumber was propped against the cabinet and still occaisonally mumbling about being rich as Papa Smurf. There were some indistinct comments about Smurfette being 'hot for someone who looked frostbitten' as well. As soon as she was finished here, she would consider finding him medical aid. Kensuke was still present, recording her progress. Rei was now somewhat unsure as to whether this was by choice or if the young man's eye had simply fused to the camera and he was too embarassed to say anything. Putting them both out of her mind, Rei continued to concentrate on her game. She now found herself in a thin alleyway, slowly making her way forwards. She frowned slightly thinking about how impractical a situation this was to be armed with a sniper rifle. Abruptly a small...child ran past the mouth of the alleyway. Rei blinked. A message appeared at the top of the screen.

**'Shoot me for the Evangelion powerup!'** Rei blinked again, lowering her eye back to the rifle scope. Examining the...child running past the alleyway repeatedly, she recognised it as a super-deformed chibi Gendo Ikari, his face a rictus of wide-eyed pleasure and seemingly performing a steriotypical Russian dance. With disturbingly unmixed feelings about gunning down the man who had been a father figure for most of her life, Rei put a bullet between his eyes, whereby he spun around showing himself to be a 2D sprite and fell over.

**'Evangelion powerup achieved! T-T-T-Time to die!'** Rei tried not to blink, feeling strangely like she had been doing that to much lately, but remained curious. Edging to the end of the alleyway, her character peeked around the corner, seeing a group of 7 or 8 enemies hiding behind a burnt out car. They all looked difficult to hit even for her. Targeting the easiest of them in the group she pulled the trigger. Abruptly a giant blue foot crashed down upon the group turning both enemy and the car into digitised pancakes. Rei blinked again. That twitch had started to act up again.

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Asuka waited impatiently for Shinji at the photo booth, grabbing his arm and pushing him throught the curtain as soon as he reached her. Squeezing in with him, Shinji was forced up into the corner of the booth, his face splayed against the cool white plastic, as the volatile redhead put money in the machine and ran through the setup screens. Eventually he managed to reposition himself, so that he wasn't in immediate danger of dislocating a limb and sat next to Asuka on the small circular stool provided. The machine was set to take 10 pictures at 5 second intervals and since the interior of the booth was brightly lit, unlike the majority of the arcade, there was no need for the camera to flash. Trying to get in a position where his head would actually be in the shot, Shinji wondered why Asuka had chosen to try this. As far as the young Ikari's experience went this was a very 'date like' thing to do. He blushed lightly at the thought as he heard the soft click and whir of the camera taking a picture.

"Shinji..." Hearing her quiet voice, Shinji turned to face the girl fearfully. A secluded place like a photo booth was the perfect place to kill an unsuspecting pilot and leave the body. She didn't look angry, but he couldn't see most of her face because it was hidden by her hair. "Shinji...I know you let me win that game." Shinji blinked in surprise.

"Ah..I didn't-" Asuka's finger on his lips silenced him effectivly.

"I know you did." She still spoke softly and despite the danger he was almost certainly in Shinji was mesmerised by her voice. "Thanks baka...but don't do it again ok?" With that she leant over and kissed him on the cheek, before exiting the booth. Shinji sat stunned, eyes wide with incredulity, hearing the camera click a final time. Exiting the booth, he was greeted by Asuka standing a couple of feet away, with her arms wrapped around herself. As much as he wanted to go to her, there was nothing he could think of to say, so he stood awkwardly by the booth until the photo's came out. Picking them up by the edges with his fingertips so as not to cover them in prints, Shinji exmained them. The majority showed he and Asuka sitting talking. The last three though were perfect. One showed the two of them with Asuka's finger on Shinji's lips, another had caught Asuka in the act of kissing his cheek and the final one showed Shinji looking like lightning had just fried his brain. Smiling to himself he pocketed the pictures carefully.

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She heard him exit the booth after a pause, but she didn't turn. Hugging herself lightly as if she thought about what she had almost said. About what would have happened if she had told him how she had begun to feel for him rather than that she knew he let her win a game. If she had kissed him on the lips the way she had suddenly wanted to instead of turning to his cheek at the last minute. If things kept going like this...she would tell him. But not yet.

She couldn't tell him yet, no matter how much she longed to.

o

I know my attempt at naming a game - Battle Grade - was none to spectacular, but considering the Japanese have brought us such titular gems as 'Aikagi Nukumori to Hidamari no naka de' and the forthcoming 'Drag On Dragoon: Love Red, Ambivalence Black', I think we can let it slide. I shit ye not. As my final note today I ask anyone willing to take on an almost certainly boring and thankless task - I know you're out there! - to head over to and read the first chapter of my original tale of whimsy, and review. This chapter is still very fluid so expect changes based on criticism. Thanks kiddies. Now on to Part 5. DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!

Kill me.

PS. I'm thinking of renaming this fic because the direction in which I had originally intended to take it - which would have made 'Send in the Rei's' an appropriate name - has been totally sidetracked. Any suggestions will be considered. Or laughed at.

PPS. Kill me


	5. Chapter 5

Yo. My emaciated body is crawling towards a food source as we speak. Can't keep this up much longer... Argh...

Thanks to all who reviewed, and any who will review in the future. It's good to know that there are people who like this fic so much. Death threats always appreciated.

For disclaimer see first chapter.

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Shinji leaned on the balcony of Misato's residence feeling the cool breeze wash over his bare arms. Dressed for bed in shorts and a sleeve-less top, the night air was invigorating for the young man. Cool blue eyes surveyed the street below, picking out the bright street lights illuminating the darkness like stationary fireflies in the night. He often came here at night, after waking up from the nightmares he always had. It had used to be images of the Angels, his friends and family getting hurt or personal pain. Now those came less often. Instead he was haunted by visions of Third Impact and his own failings before the event. His hands tightened on the railing with barely restrained disgust as he remembered curling into a ball like a child, as he remembered his actions throughout the Angel war before his control finally snapping. Unconciously baring his teeth in a silent scowl he shuddered at the thought. While by no means iron clad, Shinji hated and feared to lose control of himself completely. It made him feel...broken. His eruption of fury against the Angels he accepted. They were serving a purpose and his reaction to seeing his father for the first time in three years, he felt was justified. But he remembered trying to deny everything, being willing to let everyone die during his loss of control...the implications could have been horrifc. They should have been horrific. If Rei had not made her sacrifice then everyone would be dead. And it would have been all his fault. He knew he would have dreams about that forever.

Breathing deeply, Shinji forced himself to release the railing, jerking his hands open. Thankfully, the dreams usually came once a night only. He'd wake, stand on the balcony weather permitting, or channel surf quietly for a hour or so, then go back to bed. It had taken him an while to get used to it. For months he had been afraid to sleep and his night/day cycles had been thrown wildly out of alignment. Now he figured if dreams were the only penance he was forced to pay for his inactions then he would accept it gladly. His eyes dulled as he remembered this night's nightmare. Scenes of a dismembered Unit 02 devoured by white demons, who circled over the carcass like vultures. He had jerked out of sleep, barely smothering a howl of anger and loss. It hadn't been that one for a while. Maybe it wouldn't haunt him forever, but it was still one of the ones he feared the most.

Shifting his gaze to the dark sky above Shinji tried to identify the constellations he knew. Most of them he had learnt from Asuka and Rei that night after the 9th Angel. Not having much luck, he realized he had unconciously brought his fingers to his lips. He imagened...no, he _knew_ he could still taste her kiss. It had only been for an instant, a brushing of her lips against his so soft he half believed that he imagined it. But he could still taste it. Her. After that they had met up with the other's again, only slightly surprised to see Hyugga unconcious on the dancemat as they passed. They hadn't spoken about the...kiss. They still hadn't now, a week later. They had found the other's in the Winning Section. Kensuke had two large bags slung over his shoulder with green Yen signs printed on the outside. Shinji had asked what they were but he had insisted that they were nothing important. Shinji, noticing him twitching slightly, hadn't wanted to press him. Rei was still unloading clip after clip into the screen. Touji, worryingly, had passed out on the floor with a rictus of a grin plastered across his face. After finding him medical attention - which had consisted of Asuka slapping him a couple of times, well more than a couple...- they had all left the arcade, before the other two Stooges had seperated to make their own way home, lugging one sack each behind them.

Shinji had found himself walking home between a still silent Asuka, which was unusual, and a equally silent Rei, which was not unusual at all. He still remembered Rei's quiet question as they approached her turning.

"Shinji... has Suzahara adapted to his artificial limbs well?" The boy had looked at her curiously, recalling her study of Touji's prosthetics at the arcade.

"He's gotten used to it, yeah." He had chuckled before continuing. "He keeps telling me about this manga he read where the main character has a gun in his fake arm. He's telling me he wants to find out if he can turn his fake leg into a rocket launcher or something." Rei had nodded silently, her ruby eyes directed inwards. Reluctant to interupt her thoughts, Shinji had been curious as to why she had asked. The albino girl had paused for so long that he thought she was simply not going to answer him. He had felt disappointed, he was curious after all, but not hurt. That was simply the way she was.

"I feel...responsible for his injuries. It was the 'Dummy Plug' that crushed his entry plug and crippled him. And I was the basis for the Dummy Plug. In essence it was me that crushed him." Rei had spoken in a whisper but her voice was laden wiht emotion to anyone who knew her. Shinji had glanced at Asuka, walking on his other side, but she seemed too lost in her own thoughts to notice Rei's confession.

"It wasn't you." The surety in the pilot's voice made Rei look at him, slighlty surprised Shinji thought. "You were not controlling Unit 01." His voice dropped futher. "It wasn't you and it wasn't the other you either. It was an incomplete copy. A fake." Shinji didn't know how much Asuka knew about Rei's origins, so had no intentions of blaring them out accidentally. Rei had stayed silent for nearly a block before nodding slowly. They had parted ways not long after that. Rei had paused before turning to walk away.

"I believe I had...fun today. Thankyou both." Shinji did not fail to notice a faint guilty look in her eyes as she said it, as if being even that emotional was something wrong and she expected punishment. Shinji wasn't sure what to make of it but he had no doubt his father was responsible for it.

The rest of the trip, alone with Asuka had been silent.

His thoughts were brought back to Asuka. She had bought the dress she was wearing when he called her beautiful. She wore it the night they had all gone out, two nights ago on Wednesday. It had taken some convincing to persuade Misato too take them all out. Well, that wasn't true. After their purple haired guardian had gotten over the shock of Asuka making this request along with Shinji she had been more than happy to take them out. What had taken convincing was that she couldn't take the three Children to a bar. Little use for formal dresses at a place where the woman treating them had a fair chance of ending the night semi-naked. So after threatening to make her stockpile of Yebisu suddenly disappear she had capitulated, but only after he told her he knew about her secret stashes in the toilet cistern and in the wall safe she didn't think he knew about behind a picture in her room. Rei had looked beautiful in her dress, and had blushed faintly when Misato and Shinji had told her so. Asuka had added that she 'didn't look half bad' but had said it with a smile. Shinji was hard pressed to think which of the three women he would have found more attractive if he didn't know them. As it was, with Rei as a kind of surragate sister and Misato as a mother/big sister hybrid, Asuka stole the show without competition. it didn't matter that he had seen her in the red dress before. He still thought she looked stunning. He had almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her.

Misato had worn a low cut mauve dress he had never seen before and he himself had rented a tux for the occaison. A decision he had bitterly regretted when Misato had teased him about how handsome he looked. She had pinched his cheeks and started wailing over how her little man was all grown up. That had left a mark for a while.

The meal had been peaceful and Shinji thought that Rei had enjoyed herself, though her everpresent mask of stoicism made telling hard. As for the other two, Misato had been nervous and jumpy around her two flatmates ever since the Sunday they had gone to the arcade. It was as if she knew something and didn't want to tell them. However since the dinner she had seemed to return to her old self. Loud and drunk. Shinji sweatdropped at the though that it just wasn't normal in his home unless his legal guardian was partially inebriated. Asuka...well, since that day Asuka had been distant. They hadn't played on their archaic console as usual and Shinji found that he missed the time he spent with her fiercly. Her bright eyes and beautiful smile as much as her enraged glares and thunderstorm frowns as well. It was too quiet without her. Shinji smiled slightly as he remembered the night they went out to dinner. He had spent the lion's share of it staring at Asuka, but didn't think she had noticed. He had only stopped when he remembered that he had suggested the night for Rei's benefit and he had started to feel bad for neglecting her. Fortunatly she was being engaged in no doubt stimulating conversation with Misato. It was when his commanding officer had started to talk animatedly about her new plan to install a vending machine in every Nerv corridor and room that he felt the need to intervene. Successfully distracting Rei's attention by enquiring about her vegitarian meal, he had managed to steer the conversation away from his apparantly insane commander to other topics. It had been rather one sided, but he had managed to coax Rei into some kind of conversation. At the end of the night even Misato mentioned that Rei was becoming more open. Shinji felt vaguely proud of that.

His thought's returned to the present, and like iron to a magnet snapped back to the redhead that he shared the residence with. Misato was on nightshift at Nerv that night along with the majority of the bridge staff and Doctor Akagi. The only one who wasn't present would be Hyugga whose shift would start when their's finished. That left him and the German girl alone for the night. However Asuka had been surprisingly quiet all night and had retired early. Sighing Shinji tried to put aside his conflicting emotions for the girl, which seemed to be becoming more and more _un_-conflicting as the days passed, and wondered what was happening at Nerv right now...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"NO WAY!" Shigeru's scream of anguish and shock rang out through the bridge, snapping Risuko and Misato out of their zen like concentration over a highly tactical and advanced game of Battleship. The blonde doctor took advantage of her opponents shock to peek over to the other side of the board. Misato watched as Shigeru leapt out of his seat and pointed an accusing finger at Maya who was giggling contently. "You cheat!" Maya squeaked indignantly before succumbing to giggles once again, fueled by Shigeru's blatantly over the top antics. He was on his knees now clutching his heart as he moaned about being defeated. Shoji was watching with a slight smile on his face but knew better than to say anything. Unable to restrain her curiosity Misato stood and made her way down to the tech's consoles, still unaware that her friend was busy noting down the co-ordinates of her fleet on her hand with a biro. Stepping over Aoba's 'corpse' the Commander leaned forward to examine the screen in front of her.

"Death Dealer? How old is this?" Echoing of incredulity, her voice held none of the reprimand it probably should have for two senior techs playing games on company time as she named the popular first person shooter released soon after the Second Impact. Shigeru, who had gotten back to his feet, was being fended off by by Maya as he tried to see her screen. The young woman was laughing loudly now, as Shigeru maintained he just wanted to see what gun she used. The wide grin on his face and habit of tickling Maya everytime he managed to sneak a hand through didn't help his credability. Finally she fended him off completely, only to be challenged to a re-match. Agreeing almost instantly Maya turned back to her console, ready to unleash more whoop-ass. Collapsing back into his chair, Shigeru muttered about beginners luck before spawning in game. And dieing instantly.

"NO WAY!" Maya giggled again. Growling loudly Aoba's hands flew across the keyboard despirately trying to avoid his love interest's incoming missile fire. Ritsuko, who had finished rigging her game, went to watch over Maya's shoulder, soon joined by Misato. The doctor smirked and gently slapped Maya's arm when she saw what her young student was doing, and was rewarded with a small smile. Chuckling to herself Ritsuko beckoned Misato closer.

"She's hacked the program and made herself permenantly invisable. She's stood right next to him now filling him full of rifle fire." Misato smirked. That was unlike Maya, but one look at Shigeru's increasingly hunted face as he lept around the screen firing wildly made her glad she had done it anyway. All three women laughed out loud when the long haired man ran around a corner firing rockets and found it to be a dead end, blowing himself up in the process. Shigeru whipped his head around to glare at this superiors and Maya. Then, with utmost seriousness, he stuck his tongue out at Maya and returned to the game. The sound of teeth grinding was apparant across the bridge as the young woman blew his head off once again.

The wooshing of a door opening distracted everyone from the game. Well almost everyone.

"DAMMIT, quit doing that!" The girl giggled again. Gendo Ikari entered the bridge, his uniform no longer paint stained and his face calm and composed. On his head a tall stovepipe hat sat, meaning he had too stoop slightly to enter the room. The combination of hat and beard made him look disturbingly like Abraham Lincoln. Shoji sighed at the sight before going back to downloading music, while the others continued to stare. The wooden duck sat atop the stovepipe hat. Misato heard Ritsuko whisper to her.

"I'll eat one of your cooked meals if he doesn't have a potted plant hidden under that hat." Bowing her head, Misato sighed. She had not seen the former commander since the day of his arrival, but tales of disappearing plants, paintings and corridors inexplicably painted white were drawing her an accurate enough picture. She spoke as Gendo moved to walk past her to the entrance to the bridge opposite the one he had used.

"Major Ikari what are you wearing?" Gendo turned his impassive gaze to her before speaking.

"A hat."

"Of course. I don't suppose you would know anything about potted plants and paintings going missing would you Major Ikari?" She inquired sweetly.

"Not at all."

"Of course not. And the random corridors inexplicably painted white? Including carpet and any windows that the corridor might have?"

"No."

"Fair enough. What about the corridors that have 'Marked for Gendofication' and your signature scrawled on them in white paint?" There was an unmistakable sweatdrop forming on the man's temple at the last. His voice however did not waver.

"No." Misato sighed, and stepped out of his way, letting him move past her to the exit. After all she had no actual _proof_ it was him. As Ritsuko told her, everyone in the base _knowing_ it was him didn't count as proof and although several had come forward to say they would willingly testify Misato had said it would not be neccesary. Having him doing mildly insane things like this was better than the alternative.

Motioning to her friend they both returned to their 34th game of Battleship that shift. She knew she would have to tell the children that he had returned soon. She didn't know, however, how they would take the news. Tuning out Shigeru's loud cursing and repeated accusations of cheating the purple haired commander returned to her game.

"You're turn Rits."

"B9." Misato didn't see Ritsuko suripticiously checking her palm.

"Shit! You sunk my battleship."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_'Probably nothing too interesting.' _Thought Shinji before going back to his contemplation of the stars.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hidden in the shadows of the corridor leading to the Second and Third Children's rooms, a young redheaded girl watched the boy return his gaze to the stars. She had heard him exiting his room, the same way she heard it so often before. And like everytime this week, she found herself following him, just to watch him as he stood in the moonlight. She blushed and folded her hands over her heart where a soft warmth bloomed when she remembered the way his attention had been fixed on her almost all the time when they had gone out, leaving Rei to the tender mercy's of Misato. She had been disappointed when he snapped out of his trance, but understood that he felt responsible for Rei. She didn't begrudge him that. She couldn't bare to think he might like Rei more than her. She had nearly blurted her feelings out to him so many times in the last week, and she could still feel his lips where she had kissed him ever so softly before they were interrupted. Her fingers rose to softly lie against her lips of their own volition. They hadn't talked about the kiss. Hell, they had barely talked at all. Even when the group got together at lunch time - herself, Shinji, Hikari, Jockstrap and Cameraboy and now Rei as well - they barely exchanged greetings. Hikari had begun to look at her funny. They hadn't played their antique console either and she found she was missing his company deeply. She missed his smiles of delight and way of gently teasing her when she lost, and his rueful sighs when she handed him his ass. But if she got that close, spent that much time with him, there was no guarantee anymore that she would be able to keep her feelings to herself.

She didn't notice the tears streaking down her face while she watched the boy she loved standing on the balcony, so near to her, but impossibly out of reach.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shinji woke up earlier than usual the next morning. His hours of awakening had begun to fluctuate slightly without being able to depend on Asuka to wake him anymore. She hadn't tried the past week, just waited silently in the kitchen for him to awaken and prepare breakfast. Groggily, he levered himself out of the bed, carefully disentangling his legs before attempting to stand. Grabbing his toiletries he stumbled towards the bathroom. Nearly falling into the bath, Shinji was content to let the water simply bouy him, as he relaxed in the pervading warmth of the room. Finally dragging himself out of the tub, he wiped the condensation off the mirror and brushed his teeth, before wraping a towel around himself and unlocked the door intending to exit the bathroom. As the door swung open Shinji was confronted by the Second Child, wrapped in only a bright red towel and with a small bag of toiletries clutched in her hand. The other hand had been extended to open the door and now hovered, mere inches away from his chest. They both froze, staring at each other, blushes blossoming on their faces. Abruptly Shinji realised this was the first time in a week that she had met his eyes. So much had changed in only a week. He was staring at a semi-naked Asuka and he did not fear death. Much. His breath caught as her eyes dipped closed and she brought her head closer to his by a fraction. As he watched she bit her lip softly and brought her lips closer still. He realised that he was mirroring her without thinking about it, his attention still focused on her rosebud lips...

The loud slam of Misato opening her door reverberated throughout the apartment. Jumping in surprise, Shinji's eyes shot open to see Asuka's red hair trailing behind her as she disappeared inside the bathroom, sliding the door shut behind her. His lips tingled where, once again, only the lightest touch had occured. Shaking his head in confusion, he retreated to his bedroom to get dressed. He still needed to prepare breakast, and since both the ladies of the household had awakened early, like himself, whatever extra time he should have had had probably just gone out the window.

Soon the young pilot was in the kitchen preparing a quick breakfast of Miso soup and rice. It was simple and he had been trying to branch out his recepies so they hadn't had it for a couple of days. As he finished up, his mostly undressed legal guardian plopped down into her chair and face planted onto the wooden surface. Cautiously setting down the food, Shinji approached the exhausted woman, suddenly realising that she shouldn't be up for hours to come. She had only finished her shift at 6am and this was her day off. She usually would have stayed in bed until midday at least, before crawling out to revive herself with the aid of Yebisu-y goodness. Leaning down to shake the prone woman, he softly spoke near her ear.

"Misato? Misato what are you doing up?" A glaring bleary eye snapped open and focused on the boy before her, making him step back slightly nervously.

"Whaddya mean...? I have work today Shinji..." Her voice sounded muffled with her face cushioned in her arms. Shinji frowned in confusion before glancing at the calendar pinned up in the kitchen.

"But...Misato, it's Saturday. Don't you have today off?" Misato, who had been despiratly burrowing deeper into her arms in a half-hearted attempt to get away from Shinji suddenly stiffened. Slowly she straightened her back and sat up, before eeirily swiviling her head to stare at her young ward. She blinked twice, then stood, mechanically walking back to her room. Shinji heard the quiet thump which meant she had collapsed onto her futon. Smiling softly and quirking an eyebrow, he shook his head, wondering which of the two of them was more of a guardian. His pleasant introspection was interupted as Asuka entered the room, now fully dressed. Both of them hesitated as the saw the other, gentle blushes warming both their faces. Shinji struggled for something to say which wouldn't sound totally pathetic after they had nearly kissed twice. He feared that if he said something totally unrelated she would think he wanted to pretend it didn't happen, which was definatly not the impression he wanted to give. However he just couldn't think of a way to bring up the subject and had no idea how the unpredictable girl felt about what had happened.

_'Hey so we almost kissed. Whats up with that?',_ he felt, was not quite the approach he was looking for. He just didn't know how to bring up the subject much less actually discuss it with the girl. No matter how much he wanted to he couldn't think of a way to talk to her.

So, frustrated and confused, he stayed silent and handed the girl he was falling in love with her breakfast.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_'School never gets more interesting, no matter how man times I come.'_ A long time ago Shinji had thought that since nothing really interesting happened in his life, his standards would probably drop and sooner or later he would begin to enjoy his scholastic experiance. This was obviously, soul-crushingly, wrong. Which is why Shinji was glaring tiredly at his sensei, trying to use his none existant mental powers to crush the old man's incredably boring head like a grape. Unsurprisingly this failed. The thump of Shinji's head impacting with the desk attracted the attention of a few of his classmates nearby. Lord knows it was more interesting than the lesson. The only upside to this exercise in tedium was that it was a half day on Saturdays. Which meant that in another five minutes he would be free. Sweet glorious freedom. He tried to refrain from looking at the clock hanging on the wall just above the teachers head, fairly certain that the weight of his eyes on it's face would slow down the clock's hands, thereby slowing time and forcing him to remain in this hell all the longer. Realizing he was exagerating his plight by a fair margin, Shinji lifted his head off the desk an inch or two, then relaxed so it thumped back down. Fortunately, this time it was quiet enough that no one payed him any mind. Turning his head to the side his eyes scanned the classroom in search for something interesting to watch for the last few minutes. His gaze was immediatly brought to Asuka. He blamed that on her bright hair attracting the eye, but put little faith into his justification. Either way, he was quite content to spend the last seconds of class watching her. Her face was turned down and what little he could see of her expression made it clear that she was paying no attention to the lesson. She looked pensive. As he watched she turned to face the window providing him with a profile of her face. His eyes widened slighlty. The sunlight shone in her hair making it look like a mane of burnished flame cascading down her back. She looked like a Goddess. Her bright blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, blinking as they turned to regard him, a blush staining her...pale...cheeks...Wait a minute. Oh, shit.

Shinji blinked violently when reality crashed home and he realized she was watching him stare at her. He couldn't read the expressoin on her face, but the blush had yet to fade. Abruptly she lowered her eyes looking away with a aura of disappointment. Shinji sat up and cradled his head in his hands. He was doing as much damage by not saying anything to her as he feared by saying the wrong thing. The young man was jerked out of his minor epiphany by the shrill shriek of the school bell. Standing slowly, feeling as if his joints were made of rubber, Shinji stretched. As he stooped to collect his things together he noticed Touji and Kensuke approaching him.

"Yo Shin-man. You have any plans for the rest of the day?" Flicking his eyes towards Asuka, Shinji wracked his still sluggish brains for an excuse. As he hesitated he saw the Class Rep speaking to the girl and reasoned that his chance had disappeared. He would have to talk to her tonight. Resignedly turning back tot his two friends he smiled weakly.

"No, not really. What did you have in mind?" Kensuke, who for some reason once again had his camera out and was recording the exiting students spoke absently over his shoulder.

"There's a fair over at the park. They've got rides and everything. We figured if you wanted to show Rei about fun then there would be a place to try." Kensuke, seemingly satisfied with his recordings turned back to his friend. Since Rei had begun sitting with them at lunches both the two remaining Stooges and Hikari had taken active interests in trying to aid Shinji break Ayanami out of her shell. While he was thankful for their help it had become clear that they were slightly unnerved by the albino's silent presence. Not that he blamed them. He remembered being the same not that long ago. There was something intimidating about the girl, especially to those who didn't know her. So while he appreciated their efforts it seemed that they could be of little actual help. The one who had been most helpful had been Asuka. It had only been a week and already she had dragged Hikari and an always inquisative Rei on two more shopping trips. Shinji had not really been invited to either and despite how well the one he had gone along to had turned out, his innate male fear of shopping meant that he didn't really lose to much sleep about not being asked to join the fun.

"Yeah, we asked the Class Rep to come along too and she said she would ask Red."

"Huh?" Shinji whipped his head up at this just in time to see Hikari and Asuka threading their way through the desks towards them. He turned back to his friends, not wanting a repeat of the staring incident earlier. Kensuke was grinning evily at the taller jock.

"'Class Rep?'" He mimiced mockingly. "Don't you mean 'Hikari'?" He said the girls name in a high pitched voice and began gyrating, hugging himself. "The girl you L-U-V!" Touji roared in anger and swiped at his friend, who managed to dance out the way laughing.

"Suzahara!" Touji stiffened at Hikari's voice, just behind him, before swiveling to greet her. The scowl on her face made him sweatdrop.

"H-hey Class Rep..." As Shinji watched Hikari placed her fists on her hips and began to lecture Touji. Seeing Rei approaching he figured that HIkari must have asked her already if she wanted to come.

"Suzahara! What are you trying to do to Mr Aida?"

"But he said..er.." Hikari looked expectant and Asuka wore a smirk. It seemed apparant that she at least had an idea of what Kensuke had done to earn Touji's wrath.

"What did he say?" Touji spluttered some more, before muttering something placiatory to the pig-tailed girl in front of him and glaring at Kensuke, mentally promising him doom on installment payments since he couldn't pay up front. Kensuke sweatdropped behind his camera while Asuka's smirk grew exponentially.

"Well, should we go?" Shinji nervously interjected, always aware that death lurked near whenever scenes like this erupted amoungst his friends. Everyone turned their attention to him making him sweat slightly. "Y'know...to the fair?" Shinji relaxed as everyone muttered agreement and began to troop to the door.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Long since bored of hanging around the house with nothing to do, Misato was making her way towards Nerv. Swinging her blue Renault around a corner, making the vehicle tip onto only two wheels in the process Misato mused on how sad it was that she was going into work on her day off because it was more entertaining than staying at home. She was the only one who had the day off, so the rest of the 'gang' - barring Hyugga once again - would be in work. Ignoring the enraged cries and terrified shrieks her driving coaxed from pedestrians and fellow motorists Misato adjusted her sunglasses. Abruptly she spun her car 180 degrees and across two lanes of incoming traffic, to bring it to a halt next to a startled Makoto Hyugga. Cringing away from what he had assumed was approaching blue metal death, Makoto relaxed when he recognised his commander in the driver seat.

"Hey Hyugga! Whatcha doin?" The tech smiled at the purple haired woman's childlike innocence. He lifted the two shopping bags in his hands so she could see.

"I lost at rock paper scissors and got stuck with snack duty." He grinned sheepishly. It was tradition closer to law that the shift on duty would buy snacks for the shift that replaced them. It was another of the little traditions that Misato had created. Their was even a Nerv Snack Bank, which provided the money for the purchases. All the staff had to do was actually go and buy the goods. It was thought by many that the budget for Nerv had become slightly more congenial of late. After all without having to replace vast swaths of armour both on the Eva and the Geofront, they had more spare cash lying around now.

"But there are vending machines all over Nerv HQ. What did you have to come out here for?"

"Not everyone appreciates your taste for Beer and nuclear strength curry ramen Misato." Shifting uncomforatbly, Hyugga brought up one hand to adjust his glasses, trying not to slap himself in the face with the shopping bag. Pouting, Misato noticed her subordinates quandry.

"You want a lift in Hyugga? You shift finishes soon anyway right?" Makoto sighed, his relief evident.

"That would be great Misato." Sadly Hyugga had heard the tales about Misato's driving 'style' and dismissed them as exagerated rumor, so he had no hesitation about climbing into the passenger side. It was only when she had started the engine that he remembered she had cut off about six drivers to get to him in the first place. "OH SWEET MOTHER OF GOD!" Clawing for the precarious security of the seat belt strapped around his quivering frame, Hyugga winced as he was slammed into the car door his face flattened against the window. Swerving throught the traffic on the wrong side of the road, the blue sportscar seemed to ricochet off the other cars like a hockey puck. "Car. CAR. CAR! ARGHHHH!" When they finally came to rest and Hyugga had managed to pry his fingers out of the dashboard, the cheery Commander and the traumatised tech made their way through the corridors of Nerv towards the bridge. Entering the bridge Misato caught the staff just as they began to swap with thier replacements. Kanzuke and Minase, the two techs that were being replaced by Maya and Shigeru, said their goodbyes to Hyugga and made tracks, while Hyugga stayed a little longer to say hello to the bridge crew and deposit the snacks. Misato gave him a peck on the cheek as he left, leaving him blushing faintly. As the rest of the crew settled in for a long, boring shift the doors opened once more to emit Ritsuko and Shoji.

"I thought this was your day off Misato." The blonde Doctor said, surprised to see her friend waiting for her.

"I got bored at home, so I decided to come in."

"You really have no social life do you?"

"Bite me!" Her friend acerbic sense of humor was beginning to make her regret her desire to be around people. While Ritsuko was still chuckling the doors opened one final time.

Gendo Ikari stepped onto the bridge. The only sound was that of Miasto's jaw cracking off the ground. Walking calmly onto the bridge, Gendo was wearing day-glo hippy slacks, a multicoloured waist-jacket and a large gold chain with Nerv's symbol hanging from it as a medallion. His normally unkempt hair was now a giant afro, the circumference of which was easily three times that of his head. On his feet he wore wooden clogs, fashioned to mimic the wooden duck he had taken to carrying everywhere with him. As soon as he entered his legs started to kick and flick about like minnows in a glass of water while the upper part of his body remained totally motionless. There was no words to encompass the scope of Misato Katsuragi's incredulity at seeing her former commander Irish dance his way across the bridge. The sharp clicking of his footwear on the metal floor faded away as the doors closed once again on his exit from the bridge.

Misato turned to her friend, who seemed to be an expert on Gendo Ikari's apparantly worsening insanity. Her friend looked at her equally wide eyed, appearing more than a little afraid.

"This is a new one to me Misato. I don't know what the hell is going on this time." Sighing Misato approached the vending machine, digging through her pockets for change. Reaching the machine, she decided that it was all too much trouble. Pulling out her sidearm the still dazed woman pumped a few rounds into the glass front of the beer and ramen provider before simply reaching in and snagging a can. Chugging the beer, she threw the can over her shoulder and reached for another with grim determination.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

In the darker depths of Nerv, which means it's very damn dark, Gendo Ikari stood before three dozen men, all of whom were of pretty much the same height and build. And all of whom wore a high school girl's uniform and cheap plastic masks of Rei Ayanami's face. Any hair thay had was dyed light blue. Gendo stood before them... and he smirked.

"What the hell is going on now?" The strained voice of Kouzo Fuyutsuki alerted the elder Ikari to his presence. Shifting his gaze behind the star-shaped lenses of his new fushia tinted glasses he turned to look at his former teacher. As usual for the last week, Fuyutsuki was loaded up with packs of Nerv Curry Ramen. Another of his students near insane schemes. While Gendo continued his program of 'Gendofication', Kouzo had been raiding every vending machine he could find of it's stock of curry ramen. The people who re-stocked the machines assumed that Commander Katsuragi was the one eating it all, as rumors of her love of the deadly snack food circulated wildly around the command centre. In his spare time - ie. any time not spend Gendoifying something - Gendo was making a fort out of them in his office. Just another of his minor schemes to piss of Katsuragi, which had now seemedly become his main object in life. Gendo's voice was cold as he answered his old friend's question.

"After my brief personal appearance in this... outfit, no one on the bridge will be able to predict my next move." Turning back to the men he had stood before he continued. "It was becoming troubling to re-paint all the corridors personally and I had to avoid the ones with security cameras I could not override. Now with my army of 'Gendofication warriors' I will issue a crushing blow against Katsuragi and return Nerv HQ to the cold, soulless place it was designed to be."

"...Is that the outfit you wore to the dance when you first met Yui?"

"Red group, you are responsible for removal of all paintings and plants." A loud roar of approval was given by roughly a third of the men.

"...It is, isn't it? I recognise those pants...the shoes are new though...It's the same one Yui banned you from wearing to your wedding."

"Blue group, you are reponsible for repainting the walls, ceilings and floors of every hallway in Nerv." The remainder of the men roared their approval.

"...I know you're ignoring me Ikari..."

Gendo stood, hands clasped at the small of his back as he surveyed his troops. Kouzo sighed and moved to stand next to him, accepting that his old student would not answer any question pertaining to the 'outfit'.

"What happened to the wooden duck?" he asked eyeing Gendo's choice in footwear. "This is the first time in a week I've seen you without it." Wordlessly Gendo Ikari thrust a hand into his afro and removed the small wooden duck concealed within. Then cradling it in one arm he began to stroke it slowly as he continued to stare out at the taskforce he had assembled before him. After hearing Fuyutsuki sigh once more, his eyes narrowed and his voice chilled any who heard it to the bone.

"Send in the Rei's."

"...Are you gonna refer to them permenantly as 'the Rei's'..."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Whaddya mean it's closed!" Asuka's irate voice snapped Shinji out of his deep introspection. Since leaving the school he had been concentrating all his energies on trying to find a way to talk to Asuka alone, all to no avail. Sighing quietly to himself he looked up to find Touji as the target of the German's wrath. Well that was unusual. Shinji smirked slightly, the expression felling kinda weird on his face.

'_Better him than me.'_ Support amoungst men and male brotherhood was all very well, but at times like this it was every man for himself. As such he found himself unconciously shying away from the scene in front of him.

"Look, some kid got catapulted off a rollercoaster or something, so they closed the park while they spray him off the walls." Hikari looked ill at Touji's blunt statement.

"That's horrible!" Hiding her face in her palms she dove into Touji's chest, trying to burrow into him. Startled, and nearly bowled off his feet, the jock reached out and held the girl to him as she trembled. Looking panic stricken he began to comfort the girl, who was now plastered against his chest. Shinji heard Asuka sighing.

"Gee, be obvious about it, why don't you?" she muttered. He wasn't sure because he was paying more attention to Touji trying to figure out how to slug Kensuke who was leering at him and recording his intimate moment with Hikari, but he thought he heard the redhead mutter under her breath. "Lucky..." Refraining from looking at her, he stepped forward to try and distract Touji from murdering his other male friend.

"So what do we do now guys?" Touji stopped glaring at the camera wielding boy for a second and began to think, no longer paying attention to the fact that the Class Rep was still pressed against him. Rei stayed silent, looking towards the treeline of the park. Shinji followed her gaze and watched the wind ruffle the leaves of the tall trees. Seeing as it was a half day he hadn't eaten lunch yet and was starting to get kinda hungry. "Why don't we get something to eat in the park and just wonder around for a while?" Kensuke and Touji both shrugged their acceptance of the new plan, while Hikari and Rei said nothing. Asuka grunted and flipped her hair over her shoulder before walking up to Rei and grabbing her arm.

"C'mon Wondergirl, lets find somewhere that serves something vegetarian." Shinji shook his head in wonder as she led 'Wondergirl' off down the path. Even if she still called the blue haired pilot her little 'nickname' it was never said in mockery any more. Shinji had no idea what had prompted Asuka to take such a...sisterly liking to her self-declared 'rival' but he was glad she had. Having a female friend would benefit Rei in ways he could not. Besides she needed more than just him to make up a social circle. Smiling quietly Shinji followed them, heading towards the park. He began to laugh quietly when Hikari latched onto Touji's arm, still 'horrified'. The tracksuited teen, not knowing what to do simply pulled her close as he walked past Shinji looking very uncomfortable. The light glinted off Kensuke's lenses, both of his camera and his glasses, making him look decidedly evil as he recorded the scene. Touji turned to glare at both of them so he didn't see the blush on the girl's face as she turned into his side, but Shinji just laughed louder. It would be worth the price for this.

Following the two female pilots Shinji noticed they were heading for the small group of cafes at the centre of the park. Organised in a circle the seating arrangement fanned out in a larger circle around them. Beyond that lay a small boulevard of souvenir shops and stores. Lifting a hand to shade his face from the sunlight, Shinji broke into a light jog to catch up with the rest of his group, soon passing under the shade of the boulevard trees. Dropping back to a normal walking pace Shinji looked ahead to watch the two female pilots once again. From the way Asuka was wildly gesturing and Rei's impassive silence it seemed the blue haired girl had asked another of her innocent, yet totally impossible to answer questions.

_'Thank God father gave her 'the talk'. I don't think I could handle that.'_ In the cinema of Shinji's mind the film started to roll. A grainy picture of himself and Asuka sitting at a table with Rei, both looking sheepish sprang forth. For some reason Rei had a pink ribbon in her hair, a teddy tucked under her arm and absolutely no facial expression. He noticed that 'Imaginary Asuka' was holding a condom and a banana in her hands. _'Oh sweet God no.' _Even just imagining this situation was enough to make him want to sit down. After he had finished mentally cringing and turned his attention back to the 'Brain TV' Rei's face had suddenly become wide eyed with childish wonder as Asuka gave 'the talk'.

Touji was having difficulties. Most young men, when faced with a girl who they had a serious crush on suddenly becoming incredabily clingy, would be celebrating. Touji on the other hand not being the sharpest tool in the shed and knowing full well that if he said anything there was an extremely good chance he would look like an arse, was trying to look everywhere but at the object of his silent affections. Hence his eyes were whipping back and forth with feverish intensity, trying desperatly not to fall upon the pig-tailed girl who was now leaning her head apparantly absently on his shoulder. He was also trying to ignore the fact that since she was so close he could distinctly smell the scent of jasmine in her hair, his track suit had begun to feel like a sauna. Mentally he promised to murder Kensuke, or at least shove that damn video camera somewhere the sun didn't shine, who was standing on Touji's opposite side from Hikari, gleefully recording Touji's pain. Now despirate for something to take his mind off his current 'predicament' Touji turned to look at Shinji and blinked to see him repeatedly beating his head against a tree trunk.

_'Okay...'_

Thud, thud, thud... There, that seemed to take care of the disturbing visions in his mind. It also killed a couple of million brain cells as well but hey, you can't have everything. _'Banana...'_ Thwack! Ok now that one hurt. Rubbing the spot on his forehead where he had smashed it when he hit the trunk of the towering tree Shinji staggered backwards. Looking back to the path he saw that only Touji was watching his little bout of self abuse. Waving an arm vaguely at his friend to tell him he was ok, he stepped back onto the path, groaning slightly at the pain in his forehead. Seeing the rest of the group congregating around Rei and Asuka who were crouched by the side of the path he hurried up to see what the matter was. Stepping round Touji's little group, he found the First and Second Child crouching before a small kitten. A tabby, the kitten was mewling softly and gently batting at Rei's outstretched fingers, struggling to keep it's balance whenever it lifted a paw to continue it's little game. It fell onto it's side indignantly when Asuka gave it a small poke in the side. Shinji watched as a small smile blossomed on Rei's face at the kitten's antics. Now back on it's feet, the tiny creature was leaning forwards and waving it's slim tail from side to side as it fixated on Rei 's fingers in front of it's face. Scrunching down further it pounced forward and wrapped it's small limbs around the pale hand, it's claws too tiny to do anything but tickle. The boy was visibly startled to see the girl giggle quietly as the kitten rubbed it's head into her arm.

"I think it likes you." Shinji shifted his gaze to see Asuka smiling at the scene and realised that he was smiling as well. Not just for the kitten and Rei but because this was the most honest smile Shinji had seen from his volatile friend in a while. Turning back to Rei who was now rubbing her fingers over the content kitten's head and listening to it's soft purring, Shinji failed to see Asuka turning to look at him the same way he had looked at her.

"You gonna adopt it Rei?" Hikari, still symbiotically attached to Touji, enquired noting that it had no name tag. The blue haired girl looked startled at the question and answered in her usual monotone. The smile did not fade though.

"I...would not know how to care for it. It would be unfair to it for me to adopt it." Shinji heard the forlorn note in her normally emotionless voice. He also heard Asuka snort violently, tossing her hair over her shoulder, effortlessly captivating Shinji in the process.

"Come _on_ Wondergirl. My drunken guardian took care of a genetically engineered penguin for years and she permenantly sees the world through booze tinted vision. I think you are more than capable of looking after a kitten. We can grab some cat litter and cat food on the way back." Shinji and Kensuke exchanged wry looks behind the gregarious girls back. The chances of her buying the stuff was slim, let alone actually carryingit. Time to play pack mule again. Touji was still to distracted to notice. Shinji turned back to the two girls in front of him and crouched down next to Rei on the opposite side to Asuka when he saw she was still hesitating.

"Remember when I told you you would make a good mother?" Shinji spoke quietly, hoping that the others wouldn't hear what he said. His hopes were dashed somewhat brutally when a camera lense appeared over his shoulder. Stifling his sigh he continued seeing he had Rei's attention. "I think you'd look after it fine. You can keep each other company." Shinji gave a tiny gulp, and mentally slapped himself hard when he saw Asuka's face. He realised that he had mentioned Rei and mother in the same sentence. If anything was guaranteed to give Asuka the wrong impression it was that. And the way her face shifted from intense pain to auger like fury confirmed his fears. '_Shit. Shit shit shit shit...' _He barely heard the rest of the group add their encouragement to his and Asuka's. As he watched paralyzed, she stood briskly and turned away. He found his hand reaching out to her subconciously befoe he was distracted by Rei straightening to her feet next to him. The kitten was cradled in her arms and her eyes were on Asuka's back, concern etched in her features. _'How much does she know?'_ He stood as Rei walked over to Asuka and whispered something in her ear, while the rest of the group watched in confusion. Asuka nodded reluctantly finally and they both continued down the path towards the food area at the centre of the park.

"What the heck was that about?" Touji seemed to have returned to himself enough to notice the two girls strange actions. Shinji echoed his words silently, not really sure if he wanted to know.

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Asuka lay on her bed face down in her pillow and sighed forlornly, closing her eyes because it was so dark she could hardly see anyway. She always woke up in the middle of the night now. And she knew why too. Because _he_ always woke up in the middle of the night. Curling into a ball in the centre of her bed she remembered what had happened earlier that day.

_'He said that she'd make a great mother. Why would he say that? Does...does he like her more than me?'_ The redhead's stomach twisted violently at the thought that the girl she was beginning to think of as a friend might have the affection she so despiratly wanted for herself. _'But she said...'_ Asuka could still hear the taciturn girl's words after she had turned away from Shinji, unwilling and unable to let him see her cry.

_'The bond Shinji and I share is not the one that you and Shinji share. Nor does either of us want it to be.' _Asuka was still unsure what that was supposed to mean, but she chose to take comfort in the words. Even if Shinji chose Rei over her she couldn't bring herself to hate Rei. Watching her smile at the kitten as it lapped contentedly at a saucer of milk the waiter had brought out with their drinks had made her realise that much. And at the end of their day when they had all gone their seperate ways home, the way she had thanked them for their time and effort cleared any lingering doubts in her mind.

_The red eyed girl looked at both Shinji and Asuka, the three of them the last ones left of their group. They had gone with Ayanami to her flat and dropped off the supplies she would need to take care of the kitten, while she had cradled the little ball of fur in her arms where it purred contentedly._

_"Thankyou both. I...feel like I am having fun now." With that the albino pilot gave a samll bow of thanks and turned back to her own home._

Bringing her knees up to her chin she wrapped her arms around them. She and Shinji hadn't talked in a week now. That thought alone saddened her even more. Quite simply she missed him. She had thought just at the beginning of the week when she had first realised that she loved him that she could be content just being near him. In the same house as him, seeing him constantly. She didn't believe that was true anymore. She needed him to see her. To want her the way she wanted him. She now knew that she needed to be _with_ him, not just near him.

Before any of this had begun she had started waking up in the middle of the night whenever he went out to watch the stars, everynight. For an age she had been content to lie in her bed and wait for him to go back to his before she could fall asleep again, feeling oddly assured. Then she had started watching him at night, standing in the shadows out of sight should he turn around. The irrational fear that seized her everytime he went out, that he wouldn't come back. That he'd simply walk out the door and out of her life. She found she had to go make sure he was ok, that he was staying with her in the tiny flat they shared with a purple haired booze-hound and a penguin who drank like a sailor with a wooden leg on shoreleave. She twisted the thin sheets in her hands in frustration. '_How long will it be before I have to go stand next to him? Until I have to touch him to be sure he is really there?'_ Screwing up her eyes she buried her face into the pillow once more. _'Even that jock got together with the girl that wants him.' _ Asuka thought of Hikari's disappointed face when they had sat down at the cafe and she had had to release the walking jockstrap. She had looked downcast most of the time they had stayed there. Asuka smiled slightly remembering Touji hesitantly wrapping his arm around her when they all stood at the end of their lunch, looking like he was about to alligator wrestle an Angel. The hesitation had faded abruptly when she had smiled ecstatically and hugged him, nearly cutting off his air supply. She was so happy she barely scolded Touji for throwing the salt and pepper shakers at Kensuke for making a big deal out of it. She frowned abruptly when she remembered something else that had happened involving Touji.

_They hadn't spoken about the wierdness at the side of the path. They had all decided for various reasons that they just weren't going to mention it. Asuka mused to herself as she watched Rei stroke the kittens head as it lapped the milk happily, thinking sadly about what had happened. She flicked her eyes to Shinji who was frowning at his food as he ate, looking as downcast as Hikari. Still hurt she made no attempt to talk to him. _

_"Hows the furball Wondergirl?" Instead of an answer as she expected, Rei turned to her and cocked her head to the side curiously._

_"Why do you call me Wondergirl?" The question obviously wasn't asked out of anger, just simple curiosity. Asuka answered it as such, without getting flustered about it._

_"It's just a nickname." Seeing that the quiet girl was still not understanding she elabourated. "A name friends call each other instead of using their real names. It's a sign of friendship...most of the time." She added the last belatedly, realizing that when she had started calling Rei 'Wondergirl' it had been out of anything but friendship. She was thankful when the girl nodded accepting her answer. Then..._

_"It is similar to when Suzahara calls you 'Demon girl'?" Touji stiffened silently as Asuka's eyes narrowed. Rei continued. "Or when he calls you 'Lucifer's handmaiden'? Or 'Satan's favourite daughter', or 'Hell's Princess' or..." Every name Rei mentioned made Touji shrink further into his seat, now sweating profusly. It also made the vein throbbing on Asuka's temple more apparant._

"Ass." Asuka whispered softly to herself, making a den out of her blankets and burrowing underneath. The girl froze, hearing the soft rumble of Shinji's door sliding open. Still and silent she listened to his footfalls as he passed her door and walked into the living area. Straining her ears she heard him open the balcony door and close it behind him. Waiting an eternity, she quietly rolled out of bed and tip toed to her door. Sliding it open quickly, knowing that Shinji couldn't hear her door open from the balcony, she crouched in the shadows of the corridor and watched as Shinji stared upwards at the night sky, looking as if he were trying to count the stars. Leaning against the wall, her cheek lying against the cool paint, she felt her eyes tearing the same way they did every night. A soft sigh escaped as she felt the first tear streak down her cheek, dropping off the bottom of her chin. She would have closed her eyes to stop the tears escaping, but the irrational fear had hold of her again. The fear that if she took her eyes of him to even blink he would disappear from in front of her eyes. The very thought sent slivers of ice running down her spine and made her catch her breath sharply. '_No. I need him here. I want him here. Please Shinji, please don't leave me.'_

The redheaded girl spent another night crying. Even when Shinji turned away from the night sky to come inside and she had to retreat to her room she cried still. The only difference then was that she could sob freely without being afraid of being heard.

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Lying in his bed, Shinji listened to the girl he loved cry. He could easily hear her sobs through his thin walls and longed to go comfort her. But the young pilot knew Asuka had nightmares that plagued her, and he feared to wake her up from another dream about her mother or whatever else featured in the beautiful girl's dreams. He knew she wouldn't want him to see her cry about her mother. So he stayed in his room and curled into a ball in his bed, despiratly trying to block out the crying from the next room.

The only sound that came from his room that night was when he shattered his SDAT throwing it at the wall, hours after the redhead had cried herself to sleep.

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Another chapter finished. As far as I can tell there should be only 2 chapters left, possibly with an epilogue. Just for a bit of extra fluff. Ok kiddies, I normally don't do this but i've decided to give you a quick hint about what happens in the next chapter, showing you that for once I am not just making it up as I go along, there is at least a semblance of a plan. Sort off. Ish. A bit. Bite me.

NEXT TIME, ON: WE'RE NOT SURE YET BECAUSE WE MIGHT CHANGE THE NAME OF THE FIC...

The children find out that Gendo, complete with ridiculous beard has returned. How will this effect the children? Will Pen Pen be used as an impromptu weapon by Asuka in her anger? Will command of Nerv be returned to the man who controlled it for so long and be forced to dance to his apparantly Irish whims? Will Shinji finally grow some balls? None of this and less in our next episode. Same crap time, same crap channel.

Ja Ne. Now for some food. Arg.


	6. Chapter 6

Countdown to the end, boys and girls. Soon, after just a few more chapters I will be free. FREE! I hope to have the lion's share done before the Easter Weekend because I won't have access to my net connection for a while after that. Which might disappoint **you,** but will definatley keep **me** sane. Anyway it's jiggy time children, so pull up those flairs, spin some discs, and get ready to party. Or you could just read the fic. Whatever works for you.

For disclaimer see first chapter. It occurs to me that I spend just about as much time typing 'For disclaimer see first chapter' as I do typing 'I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion' therefore making me typing 'For disclaimer see first chapter', a total waste of time. And now I've written it three times, and I stress this, **for no good reason.**

(Weeps twin-waterfalls)

Incidentally I have been informed that the scenes at Nerv seem to be more Omake-ish scenes in a serious story. While the scenes at Nerv are primarily intended for comic relief I was aiming for them to be short breaks in an otherwise serious plotline, which are still part of the plot, even if they're not immediatly relevant. I believe that a story well told should be able to make a reader laugh, cry and provoke thought within the same chapter. Doesn't mean it has to, just that it should have the ability to do so should it chose to do so. This is just my opinion and I will be the first to admit that it won't hold true for all cases. In any case this is what I am aiming for, even if I fall short. At the very least I'm glad to know that you find the scenes funny, cause thats what I was hoping for. Now where was I? Ah yes...

(Weeps twin-waterfalls)

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The shrill cry of his alarm startled Shinji out of his doze. Sluggishly he slapped the offending device off the table on which it sat and gave a soft grunt of victory as it was silenced on hitting the floor. Muttering incoherantly the tired boy snuggled deeper into his bed and tried despirately to get some more sleep. He had only managed to doze off a couple of hours ago and since it was a Sunday he had no intention of getting up earlier than he had too. Nerv tests weren't scheduled for hours yet so in the meantime he intended to get re-aquainted with the Sandman.

He had listened to Asuka cry for what seemed like hours before she had exhausted herself and dropped into an uneasy sleep. Shinji had not been as lucky. Normally he had no problems falling asleep after a nightmare, he had gotten so used to them, but last night sleep just wouldn't come. At the back of his mind he kept feeling her. Kept musing how, in essence they were only feet apart, only a very thin wall between the two of them. Every sob had twisted his gut, made him feel weak and naseous as it echoed dully through the wall of Asuka's room. He had been writhing in his bed trying despirately to block out the sounds, trying to flee them. But he couldn't. He could only wait until they ended. A yawn pryed his jaws open. Suddenly uncomfortable in his position he shifted. Then shifted again. And once more. Shinji sighed and opened his eyes, sitting up in a bed that was now a tangle of sheets and legs, one snaking in and out of the other. Recognising that he wasn't going to get any sleep anymore, he swung his legs out of his bed and stumpled towards the door. He still felt exhausted but he knew he would never fall asleep again. He only hoped a warm shower would take the edge off his tiredness. Doing a credable impression of the undead he shambled towards the bathroom, feeling his shoulder bounce off the wall of the corridor and jolt him to the side. Ignoring his collision he graclessly collapsed against the door, leaning his forehead against the cool wood, debating about just trying to fall asleep here stood propped against the bathroom door. Eventually he decided this was not a brilliant idea and slid the entrance open. Stripping off his clothes he stepped under the showerhead and closed his eyes waiting for the warm deluge to gently wake him...

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The scream echoed for blocks, disturbing flocks of birds who took wing in fear, leaping into the dawn stained sky with an explosion of sound. Harsh fluttering and shrill cries of confusion escaped as the white, grey and teal streaked pigeons were startled, made mocking ehoes of a young man's shocked anguish. The shower was damn freezing.

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Frozen in more ways than one under the now silent showerhead Shinji Ikari frantically felt around for his two best friends, seriously afraid that they had withdrawn into his abdomen in panic under the arctic onslaught and that he'd have to go through puberty again to get them to 're-drop'. Sighing in contentment as he located his two pals, he glared at the shower. If he squinted it looked like it was smirking at him. Trying to ignore the occaisonal cold drop of water streaking down his back from his sodden hair, he gingerly stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Frantically trying to rub some warmth into his blue tinged limbs Shinji admitted that at the very least he was awake now. Hurrying back to his room to change into some clothes Shinji glanced at the alarm clock, craning his neck to read the time from it's new position, upside down on the floor. 7:43. Well, the chances of anyone else in the house being awake were virtually nil, unless his escapade with the shower had woken them up. Misato would already have gone to work, seeing as today marked the first day of her early shift cycle. That meant she'd be seperated from the rest of her usual shift group, but she'd be reunited with Hyugga, who still had another week of early shifts to do as a result of his ill-fated bet with Shigeru. With Misato gone it was more than likely that the other two occupants of his tiny home where still asleep. Asuka can't have gotten that much sleep yet so he didn't expect to see her for a few hours yet and the penguin had probably drunk himself into a coma so Shinji had no idea when Pen-Pen would make an appearance.

Wandering back out of his room, ignoring the broken shell of an SDAT player in the corner, Shinji headed towards the kitchen. He was hungry and he decided to make something Asuka would particularly enjoy for breakfast. It was the closest he could come to comforting the girl and it also served as something of an apology of sorts, even if the blue eyed boy wasn't sure exactly what he was apologising for. As he pulled out the neccesary implements for his culinary creations, he mused on the instances when he'd made meals he knew his roomates would enjoy to apologise to them. He grunted quietly. Misato was easy enough to please. As long as it could melt an Eva's armour it was fine dining to her. Asuka on the other hand forced him to branch out his cooking style. Actually cooking the food was no problem but finding the ingrediants were another matter. It had taken him months of searching until he had found a small foreign foods mart in a back street on the far side of the city. He had no idea why it was in Tokyo-3, but the owner told him it was part of a large chain of stores very popular in Europe, so he just counted his blessings and bought as much bratwurst as he could carry. As he sliced the onions and blinked the small tears out of his eyes he frowned slightly, remembering the week when Asuka had done nothing but argue with him. Every morning he had resigned himself to making a European breakfast. Now that he thought back on it he recalled that towards the end of the week the girl had argued with him about more and more ridiculous things, leading him to believe she had noticed his habit of apologising with food and had set him up. Shifting the diced onions into the fryin pan with a hiss and minute gysers of cooking oil, he rolled his eyes half heartedly. It would be something she would do. Dragging his attention away from the frying pan he made his way to the fridge and sweatdropped at the plethora of beer and instant Ramen. Carefully deconstructing the aluminium wall in front of him, Shinji stretched a hand through the breach and rummaged around, his elbow disappearing into the fridge as he searched. Detecting the items he wanted by feel alone he gently withdrew them before slotting the cans back into place as they were before. Adding the thick sausages to the frying onions and pouring milk into a pan to prepare scrambled eggs with Shinji soon lost himself in his cooking, knowing the smell would draw his flatmates out sooner or later.

The soft click of the freezer door opening alerted him to his diminutive roomate's arrival. Peering over his shoulder he watched Pen-Pen stumble oput of his little alcove, showing the signs of an avian hangover. Pressing one flipper to his head, the warm-water penguin leaned against the wall and 'warked' pathetically. As Shinji watched the little bird waddled twoards him apparantly sniffing the food he was preparing. Stopping abruptly mid-waddle Pen-Pen's face suddenly went decidedly green, before he spun on whatever penguin equivalent he had for a heel and waddled at high speed to the bathroom. Shinji's sweatdrop fell into the frying pan, hissing loudly enough to snap the teen's attention back to his cooking. Deftly turning the sausages in their pan he cracked and added the eggs to the warmed milk before turning up the heat and stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. Reaching across the stove, Shinji ignored the grease spots burning his skin and grabbed a plate off the side, turning away from the frying food for a second to open a can of fish he had removed from the fridge with the rest of the ingrediants.

Pouring what Shinji had on good information was fish...or had at least seen a fish at some point...onto the plate, he crouched down and placed next to the table leg knowing that if Pen-Pen felt better he would be hungry soon. If the little avian didn't want it before the two humans left in the appartment had to leave, then he'd put it in the fridge for later. As for the present he went back to his cooking before it burned.

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Asuka sat awake in her bed trying to ignore the smell of Shinji's cooking wafting through her door. She'd awakened when she heard the only human male of the household shriek like a school girl half an hour previously. Her desire to avoid Shinji had overidden her curiosity, so she had remained in her bed while he had 'showered' and had listened intently as he began to prepare breakfast. The smell of sausages was beginning to make her drool. She sighed and collapsed backwards onto her bed, seeing her red hair trail out of the corner of her eyes as she fell. Shinji always made her a European breakfast when he felt guilty about something. Her smile at recalling manipulating a weeks worth of 'real' food out of the young Ikari was small and tired. She didn't know what he was trying to apologise for this time but she wished he wouldn't. She didn't want him to be sorry. Agitatedly she wiped sleep out of her puffy red eyes.

_'This what you get for crying all night over the baka.' _Even when she thought of the insult rather than said it she couldn't make it sound harsh anymore. Than was one of the reasons she had stopped calling him her favourite 'nickname' for him. She was too terrified he would hear her gently caress the word, rather then biting it off harshly the way she always used to. Pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, she lay her forehead on her forearms and closed her eyes. She could feel her control slipping more and more as she fought a rearguard action against her feelings. She had given up trying not to cry. She wasn't strong enough to hold back the tears anymore. Now she was struggling despirately not to give in to her desire to run out of her room and wrap her arms around Shinji, no matter what he said. Even fear that he didn't feel the same as she did...didn't...love...her wasn't enough to deter her anymore. Her stomach felt tight with her tension as she fought to stay in the bed. Fought not to remember his soft blue eyes and the way he had tasted when their lips had brushed those two times. Remembering those almost kisses doubled the tension in her belly. Asuka thought it ironic that she felt more for those two butterfly light connections than she did for their only real kiss, one of her early and misguided attempts at flirting with the quiet boy. For that she felt next to nothing because there had been no emotion behind it. She had just wanted to know what it would be like to kiss the boy. It was done out of curiosity rather than affection. The other two gave her butterflies when ever her thoughts strayed nearby. And her thoughts strayed nearly constantly now.

_'Damn that baka. Damn him for making me feel this way!'_ Throwing herself onto her side she curled into a ball trying not to think about the boy she loved. After a while she reluctantly slipped off her bed and decided to shower before breakfast, succumbing to the smell of Shinji's cooking. He didn't make European style food often so she wasn't going to miss the opportunity. Even if she had to be near him. Because she got to be near him. Groaning softly she grabbed her towel and quietly slid her door open.

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Sunday. Christians believed it to be a day of rest, where you relaxed and allowed yourself to forget the trials and travails of the other 6 days of the week. Each person celebrated this in their own individual way, whether they were Christian or not. Sunday was their day off and the only downside of it was that Monday came too quickly after.

Kensuke Aida spent his Sundays in the country outside Tokyo-3. Shinji had tests at Nerv and Touji spent them with his little sister, so his Sunday's were solitary times. Mari was out of hospital now but she was still learning to walk again and Touji, ever the dilagent brother spent as much time as he could with her. Kensuke grinned wolfishly, an expression which to be frank looked just plain weird on his boyish spectacled face.

_'I bet he asked Hi-ka-ri to visit today. Ha!' _Kensuke stared at his feet and deepened his voice, doing a poor impression of his sport loving friend.

"Yeah, my little sister...she's been wanting to meet you...so..if you'd like to...y'know..." Instantly Kensuke clasped his hands in front of his stomach and adjusted his posture to the best approximation he could come to of Hikari's stance. The fact that this made him look like a constipated stork went unnoticed. By him anyway. His eyes shone like liquid chocolate behind his glasses as he attempted a high falsetto that sounded nothing like the Class Representative. "I'd... really like that. If you like I could cook something for us to eat!" Once again Kensuke returned to his deep 'manly' voice. "Wow that would be great! I love you Hikari!" Not too far away a bush sweatdropped.

Realizing the inherant 'wrongness' in his continuing impersenation of both his friend and, more importantly, a girl, Kensuke collapsed onto his back, his body now obscured in the thick, tall grass. Idly he lay, the camo he wore blending in quite well with the greenery around him, listening to the chicadas chirp in the trees. Sighing, Kensuke sat up and stretched. War games had always been his passion, in fact anything military had, for as long as he could remember. Not the killing, but the hardware and the precision that went into every military action. After all the more precise the action, the less people were killed. Kensuke knew that casualties were a fact of war but the dedication towards perfection was what drew him. He grinned ruefully, remembering when it had just been a desire to make things go boom, but the lessons he had learnt in the Angel Wars had stuck with him. Well, ok, there was still a healthy dose of that as well, but it was basically scientific fact that all men wanted at some level or another to make things go bang really loudly. The louder and more often the better, preferably with multicoloured lights thrown in. It was almost genetic. His grin faded. His passion was computers and war, because he had little physical ability. Soldiers maximised what little ability they had through rigorous training and Aida admired them for it. Even those with little natural ability were able to maximise their potential. Kensuke suspected deep down that he wouldn't have the strength to stick to such a regieme. It was one of the reason he had so coveted a piloting position. He had considered it an easy way to strength. Little effort for huge reward. The Angel Wars, more specifically watching Shinji slowly buckle under the strain of piloting, had taught him that that wasn't true as well. The boy sighed once again. So, he played at war because he would be no use in the real thing.

War games may have been his passion, but at the end of the day games of any kind where best played with more than one person. Touji had little to no interest in his activities and he couldn't really blame Shinji for not wanting to recreate what he spent so much time doing. So he was lying in the field alone, dreaming of militaristic glory when-

_Rustle_. Kensuke stiffened, then dove to the floor, flattening himself out as much as possible. Someone was nearby. Hey, he appreciated his hobby as much as the next person but it wasn't something he wanted an audience for. The weight of the sweatdrop he developed thinking about his impression of Hikari bounced his head of the soft earth. At least he didn't have his plastic AK47 with him. There was a reason he did this kind of stuff out where no one came dammit! Time to put his 'skills ' to the test. He groaned quietly, realizing his 'skills' were garnered from old action movies, and had been tested only against the grass he lay on and the occaisonal shrub.

_'Still. I will do my best.'_ Filled with iron resolve, Kensuke inched his way forward throught the long grass, towards where the rustling sound had come from. _Rustle._ There it was again. Tensing Kensuke rose to a low crouch, trying to see over the top of the grass without presenting himself to full view. He could see the treeline ahead of him, the dark shadows suddenly looking much more appealing than the bright, clear, _exposed_, field.

_A flash of red._ Kensuke gasped, before ducking back down to the ground. In the trees...a...girl's ribbon? It had disappeared as soon as he had seen it, but thats what it had looked like. The cogs and wheels of Kensuke's brain spun, rapidly dismissing his usual answers to anything he couldn't understand. _'It wasn't aliens or zombies...this doesn't look like their type of work. So it might be a girl...but who?' _Kensuke Aida's experiences with girls thus far had been limited to say the least. The only ones he was really on speaking terms with who weren't part of the immediate family were Hikari, (well thats Touji not me) Asuka, (well thats no one not me) and Rei (...). So none then. Suddenly the militay otaku felt really depressed by that knowledge. Shaking it off he continued his train of thought. In good adolescent male fashion he was distinctly aware of all the girls around him, even though he never spoke to them. None of the girls in his class that he could remember wore ribbons in their hair. There were a few in the school that did, in fact it had been a minor craze a month or so ago for everyone to wear ribbons in their hair. Everyone female anyway. But he didn't know the name of any of the ones who did it permenantly. As far as he could remember they were all in other classes. Of course there was no guarantee that the girl went to his school. It could be someone completely seperate he had never met before. Now that he was fairly confident he knew who was in the area and that they had nothing to do with him, he relaxed. He still didn't want to be seen though and figured he'd have a better chance at avoiding notice in the trees than he would out in the open. Hurridly crawling towards the tree line, he climbed to his feet once he was well inside the shadowed wood. Leaning against the rough bark of the tree trunk, he breathed deeply, before squatting between the tree's knarled roots. The tree he sat under was huge, it's trunk thick so that he couldn't have wrapped his arms around it if they were thrice what they really were. As such the tree seemed to have a little clearing to itself, as the branches above snaked out to touch the trees surrounding it, seeming to hold them at bay. The sheer size of the tree ment that the others were forced to grow a distance away, though they encroached on all sides. The roots were exposed, dipping into and out of the soil around the tree, all of various sizes and shapes. Looking about for one he thought would be big enough, he ambled over to a thick root, warped around a boulder perhaps half as big as himself and leaned against it. The chicadas were louder here, in the woodland where he was surrounded by them. They drowned out pretty much everything, except the loud rustling of the tree's when a breeze shook them. Absently he unbuttoned his camo jacket and took it off, laying it on the boulder next to him, feeling warmer in the trees than he had out in the open where he could feel the cool breeze fully.

Kensuke started as a small blur flew past him and settled in the branches above his head. Twisting in his seat to watch it he saw a small bird, it's body no bigger than his hand hopping along the twisted branch. Pausing, it cocked it's head down at the be-spectacled boy, showing him the teal tint to it's feathers as it moved into the light before seeming to stiffen and exploding into movement. The sudden fluttering of it's wings as it dove past Kensuke and back throught the tree's the way it had come startled the boy. But not as much as it startled the girl on the other side of the tiny grove he sat in, who promptly stepped back in alarm and fell over a root behind her with a paniced squeak. Gaping incredulously, Kensuke shot to his feet, unsure whether to bolt like a hare or to go help the girl who was quietly 'owing' from her position sat on the floor. Figuring that he would cut an even more pathetic figure if he ran, he decided to go help the girl. Who said chivalry was dead? Leaning down towards the girl who sat in the dirt and watched him approach with wide eyes he offered his hand to help her up.

"You ok? That looked like it hurt." The girl blushed and accepted his hand, allowing him to pull her up. As she got to her feet she moved out of the shadow of the tree into sunlight, allowing her helper to get a better look at her. Kensuke nearly stared. As he had suspected it was one of the girls from another class in his school. He recognised her from sight but couldn't remember her name. At the moment, looking at her, he couldn't remember his name either. Bright green eyes blinked at him and her waist length hazel hair was tied up in a high ponytail with the ribbon he had seen before in a bow. _'Wow, she's cute.'_ Kensuke felt himself colouring at this errant thought, before noticing that she was doing the same. _'Oh, crap did I say that out loud?'_ An instant away from going into apopalectic shock, he realised that he still held her hand and that was why she was blushing. Hastily he released her hand and stepped back. "Oh, sorry about that. Er, you ok?" The girl looked at him, her cheeks still softly glowing and nodded hesitantly. Rubbing the back of his head, Kensuke stepped back again and smiled forcedly. "Er, cool. Well, I'll just get going then." As he turned away to grab the jacket he had left on the boulder before seeing the girl she darted forward, her long skirt swishing around her legs.

"Er...wait a second.." Surprised he turned his attention back to the girl who now had her hands clasped in front of her busom, resting on top of her light blouse. She was colouring even more and stared fixatedly on the ground in between the two of them. She seemed to be having trouble talking and was getting more and more anxious by the second. Kensuke's eyes widened. The only time he had seen this reaction from a girl before was when... He surrupticiously checked. No..his fly was up. He turned back to the girl who was still staring at the ground like it had the secrets of the universe etched into it. Ok, now he was at a loss. He had no idea what the girl's problem was.

_'She really is cute though.' _ Dressed conservativly in a long blue dress worked with pale flowers that looked to be a bit to thick for comfort in the warm weather, the pale blouse she wore matched the little blooms perfectly. She looked nearly angelic, with her hands clasped before her and the light shining through the trees onto her picking out the motes of dust that hung in the air and making them sparkle like diamonds. Kensuke felt his breath catch. As he watched the girl unclasped her hands and began poking her two forefingers together. He couldn't see her green crystal eyes now that she had her head down, her long fringe obscuring her face from sight like a curtain.

"Um...would you like to...get a drink with me?" Kensuke had to strain his ear to hear the girl's whispered question, but almost fainted when he heard her anyway. Swallowing loudly, he stammered a response he thought vaguely passed for a 'yes', but his brain had left the building so to speak so he wasn't really sure. He gathered he had been less than clear when the girl looked at him in confusion. Clearing his throat, and trying to jump start his brain, he made another attempt.

"Er, yeah I'd like that." Inwardly relieved he had managed to pull off the acceptance so smoothly, which basically meant without starting to froth at the mouth and falling over, Kensuke looked away from the girl, embarassed beyond belief and not wanting to start staring again now that she was looking at him. The girl suddenly beamed upon hearing his words and jumped up and down ecstatically, though now he was too engrossed in examining the beetle picking it's way over his shoe to notice. They both stood silent in the forest, listening to the chicadas chirp ceaselessly, before a sharp breeze reminded Kensuke of his jacket. "Just let me grab my jacket..." He trailed off not knowing how to end the sentence and heard the girl make a soft sound of acknowledgment.

Walking out of the woods with the girl at his side they were both quiet. Kensuke's experience with girls was extremely limited and he had no idea what to talk about. He was still stunned that the girl had asked him to have a drink with her. The girl kept her own council.

"I'm Kensuke Aida, by the way..." The boy shifted his glasses to scratch at the outside of his nose absently as he spoke.

"I know." The girls soft response made Kensuke stumble, her voice lilting and musical. When he looked at her again she was blushing and looking at the earth in front of her feet. "I-I'm Tesane Kioyuki...but all my friends call me Tessa.." They continued to walk past the tall grass on worn path back to Tokyo-3. And the girl... Tessa... continued to talk. "I'm in you're year...but not in you're class. I'm in 2-C. Most people in school know you're name, you know?" Their feet brushed past small white flowers in the grass. "The Three Stooges. You, Ikari and Suzahara. You're almost famous. So...thats how I know you're name." As they walked Kensuke noticed that she only came up to just about the level of his eye, while her soft voice kept speaking. "I only moved here a couple of months ago... My family comes from Sapporo, but my father has a new job here so I transfered schools with my little sister. I have two older brothers as well...they're both in the army." Kensuke's head popped up slightly at this last, believing it to be the only thing in the thus far one-sided conversation he would be able to give input on. "They're both quite a bit older than me, but I still remember them being really exited about the military, when we were all kids. I got into it a bit myself as well." She looked up and shook her head slightly making her hair swing drawing Kensuke's eyes to it automatically. Examining it he realised it wasn't a ponytail like he had thought but a loose braid as thick as his first two fingers. "My youngest brother...was really into computers. He could take them apart and rebuild them so that they were better than before. He taught me everything he knew. I really enjoyed spending time with him before he left, taking old computers apart and seeing how they worked." She laughed softly, not noticing Kensuke's awe struck gaze. "But those aren't the hobbies that most people expect girls to have, you know? So...I don't get to do it as much anymore. They're aren't many people I can talk to about it."

Kensuke watched as she began to blush, her face flushing a deep red, closer to crimson. "Ayase told me that you were a computer whizz when I first came here. To...to tell you the t-truth I've been...watching you for a while. I come out here sometimes because I like the peace and quiet...but also because I kept hoping to bump into you..." Abruptly she turned away from him and began to walk faster. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you..." Kensuke gaped. He cursed himself virulently for not bringing his camera, cause that was the only way he was gonna believe what just happened. He blamed his brain still not being in gear. Yeah, that sounded like a good excus- er, reason. Jogging lightly to catch up with the girl he reached her side and began to walk alongside her again.

"So...where do you want to get that drink?" The girl stopped, leaving Kensuke to stumble to a halt a couple of steps in front of her, the dust at his feet swirling as he skidded to a stop. Tessa looked at him, hands clasped in front of her chest again, like when he had first really seen her in the wood, except this time he could see her green eyes. He grinned sheepishly and tried not to blush, stuffing his hands into his pockets, unable to meet her gaze. The otaku heard her walking forwards and saw her feet as she stopped in front of him. After a few seconds of silence he looked up at her face.

Her smile made her look even more beautiful.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Touji Suzahara paced back and forth in front of the couch obscuring his little sister's view of the television at least once every 10 seconds. It occured to Mari Suzahara that a futher downside to not being able to walk, besides the obvious, was that she couldn't kick her brother either. Sighing, the young girl muted the television, giving up hope of being able to watch Sunday morning cartoons in peace. Instead she watched her big brother bouncing back and forth across the room like a demented tracksuit wearing ping-pong ball. The little girl watched as her brother quietly released his last tenious grip on sanity.

"ARGH, what am I going to do! She's gonna be here any minute!" Holding his head in his hands Touji tried despirately not to hyperventilate. "Why'd I invite her around anyway? 'Hey Hikari. Why don't you come round and meet my sister Hikari?'" Touji's impression of himself, as well as sounding nothing like his actual voice also managed to cut out all the muttering, mumbling, stuttering, stammering and occaisonal manaical laughter that his actual offer to the Class Rep had featured. Stiffening abruptly Touji swallowed. "What the hell do I call her? I always call her Class Rep, but we're outside school now. Should I call her Horaki? Or Hikari? ARGH!" Mari, very familiar with her brothers frequent mental spasms, giggled quietly. She didn't want to interrupt the show after all. She was glad her father and grandfather were in work today. There was no one to limit her brother's insanity now. "Should I wear this? It's what I always wear so...But in the other hand it's what I _always_ wear... Dammit!" Shouting his frustration to the skies, or in this case the living room ceiling, Touji went back to pacing.

Mari giggled again. She was looking forward to meeting the girl that Touji was always talking about. She had met his other friends already. Kensuke she knew for years, but she had only just met Shinji a couple of months ago when he visited her in the hospital. The doorbell rang piercing the silence eof the household. Spinning around violently, Touji cracked his neck loudly and went down like a poleaxed bear. Muttering something about giving himself whiplash, the boy levered himself off the floor and staggered to the front door rubbing the side of his neck. Swinging the door open he froze, finding Hikari Horaki on the otherside holding a shopping bag.

"Uh, hey..._'Ah screw it!'..._Hikari, come in." Stepping out if the way he let the Class Representative pass, noting as she did that her hair was in a single ponytail, rather than the usual two pigtails. Once past him into the house's little hallway, she spun back towards him, making him notice her outfit as well. A single piece purple sundress trailing down to her ankles, with a soft yellow blouse underneath. Definately nothing like he had ever seen her in before. He noticed the carrier bag in her hands. "Uh..whats with the bag?" She looked startled for a second, then blushed a little.

"Well I thought that since you invited me round I could cook lunch for the two of you. You already said none of the men in the family could cook and I wouldn't want your sister to have to..." She trailed off not meeting his eyes. Touji was stunned. Here was the Class Rep, the girl he had a serious thing for, in his house, lookin' like a babe and offering to cook for him. Hell, for karma this good he must have set up a monestry, or been a missionary eaten by cannibals or somethin' in a past life. Either way it was definately worth it.

"Aw, ya don't have to do that." _'What the hell are you saying! Let her do it dammit!'_ "I mean you're the guest. I wouldn't feel right making you cook." _'Yes you would! You'd feel great about it! Pass this up and I'll kick your ass!' _"I wouldn't want you to have to go through the trouble.." _'She offered! THAT MEANS ITS NO TROUBLE DAMMIT!' _ Hikari shook her head, unaware of Touji's internal monologue.

"It's ok, I really enjoy cooking. And besides ..." Pink tinged her cheeks again. "...I haven't eaten yet either.." Well this was technically true, but here was no real need to tell him that the reason she haden't eaten already was so she could eat at his place. Touji scratched the back of his head, still feeing uncomfortable about it. Well, partially uncomfortable. The little voice that really enjoyed Hikari's cooking was alternating between doing a victory dance and threatening to murder him in his sleep if he passed up this opportunity.

"Well...if it's not a problem for you..." Touji trailed off helplessly. Hikari brightened noticably.

"No trouble!" Still rubbing the back of his head, Touji motioned with his free arm towards the living area.

"Well, I'll introduce you to Mari, then I guess I'll show you the kitchen." Hikari smiled at him and followed him into the living area. His little sister had switched the T.V. off and turned on the family games console. Her face was a picture of concentration as she focused on obliterating her enemy. Touji coughed to steal her attention away from pulverising her opponent, while Hikari watched the small girl play. Pausing the game Mari turned to meet her brother and the person she didn't know. Hikari bowed politely to the little girl. Aside from some thin scars on her arms the girl looked fine but she had heard from Touji that her legs were still weak. She could only walk small distances still and even that pained her quickly. But to the eye, she looked like a normal enough little girl. Her hair, light brown was tied up in two high pigtails, held in place with ties fashioned to have little red balls on the outside. Her eyes were the same colour as her brother's.

"Hiya!" The little girl piped up in response to her bow. Touji chuckled at them both and layed a hand on his little sister's head.

"Mari, this is Hikari. Hikari this is my little sis." Mari grinned as her brother ruffled her hair playfully. "Hikari says she's gonna cook us lunch ok sis?" Hikari smiled at the little girl and gave a tiny wave.

"Yay! Real food!" Hikari tried valiantly not to smile at Mari's obvious joy. It seemed that Touji's appraisal of the male Suzahara's cooking abilities may have been optimistic. She laughed out loud when she saw the vein pop out on the jock's temple.

"Hey! You saying I can't cook real food pipsqueak?" Touji's face, now contorted into a mock scowl was inches away from his little sisters and he was shaking his clenched fist under her chin. Mari poked him in the nose.

"Big brother can't cook." Touji collapsed on the little girl in defeat, being careful not to put too much of his weight on her as he tickled her lightly in the sides. Hikari smiled at the two of them, and felt warm watching Touji play with his little sister. Touji stood up, releasing Mari, who grinned up at him happily.

"I'm gonna show Hikari the kitchen, so I'll be back in a bit ok?

"Yay! Real food!"

"Stop saying that!" Hikari giggled as Touji led her through the house to the kitchen just behind the living room. Setting the plastic bag down on the counter top, Hikari appraised the kitchen, taking note of where everything was. Touji leaned on the counter behind her casually before moving towards the fridge. "You want a drink Hikari?" The Class Rep shook her head, thanking him for the offer. She spoke as she began to unpack the shopping bag.

"How long before she's completely better?" Touji sighed, pulling the wimple on his can of soda and trying to distince himself from it when it sprayed a little.

"The doctor's aren't sure. They think that with 6 months of pyhsio she'll be back to what she was before the accident." He sipped the soda that had escaped onto the can's rim and shrugged. "I'm just glad she's out of the hospital at last." Hikari watched him take a swig of soda.

"You really care for her don't you?" Visibily uncomfortable Touji shrugged again.

"It's probably because she hasn't been around at home do much. Give me a couple of months of having her around constantly and I'll go back to wanting to throw her out the window." Hikari wasn't sure whether to be scandalised by the boy's words or amused by them. She settled for smiling as she scolded him.

"Big brother! Come play with me!" Touji looked over his shoulder towards the living room, hearing his little sister's plea. Turning back to Hikari he saw her ready to start cooking. She smiled at him understandingly.

"Go on. You'd just get in the way here." Touji smiled back at her, ignoring her additional comment, before going to join his little sister in the other room. Hikari kept smiling as she watched him leave.

"I don't believe you Touji Suzahara. You really do care about her."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hikari laughed out loud as Mari beat Touji again. The teenage boy groaned and hung his head, while the little girl squealed in delight. At first Hikari had been certain Touji had been letting the girl win on purpose, but the increased despiration and inarticulate rage on his face after every loss was making her wonder. All the time she had been cooking all she heard from the living room was the sound of battle and Touji's cries of anger. And Mari's giggles. Now having finished lunch she sat with the two Suzaharas cheering Mari on. The look of shocked betrayal on Touji's face when she had started had been priceless. Touji had refused to allow her to clean up, saying that cooking was the most he could accept from her in one visit. He then went on to say that the washing would be waiting for her the next time she came so there was no need to hurry. After he had finished trying to convince her not to maim him, they had gone back to the living room to play with Mari.

She watched Touji frantically bash the buttons on his pad, the tip of his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth. He was doing better than usual and actually had Mari on a fairly low level of health. Though he was just behind her. She was startled when Touji called out the name of his move, preparing for victory.

"SUPER DRAGON PUNCHOOWAH?" Halfway through his move Mari's character had punched him in the head, killing him. Touji stood frozen in place, half out of his seat ready to jump in the air in celebration of a victory that never came. Abruptly he sank back into the couch, growling an affirmative when his opponent asked if he wanted a re-match. Hikari watched as the game continued, but her eyes were drawn to Touij's left hand. The prosthetic. The best in cybernetic technology, there was still no way anyone could believe that it was something it was not. A cool blue colour, the metal was coated in a soft translucent polymer to make it at least feel like skin to anyone who touched, even though they could easily see it was anything but. Hikari shook her head as she shifted her eyes to watch Touji's face.

_'You piloted for you're little sister and you expect me to believe you don't care that much about her?' _Hikari shook her head again. Then laughed when Mari won the match.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It seemed to Shinji that life was all about choices. You could choose to drink the night away and feel like re-fried death the next morning, or you could have one or two drinks and sleep soundly. You could bite the bullet and go shopping with you're girlfriend, or you could duck and weave and take manly way out by claiming malls make you're allergies act up. You could talk to the girl you're in love with, clear up any misunderstandings and go forward with knowledge and facts...or you could stay silent and watch the woman you love drift futher and futher away from you.

_'When you put it like that the answers obvious. So why can't I talk to her?'_ Shinji Ikari examined Asuka Langley Sohryu out of the corner of his eyes, not wanting to draw attention from either the German girl herself or the blue haired girl on his other side. Trapped between red and blue, hot and cold, fire and ice. Shinji felt there was probably a lesson to be learned here somewhere. Sadly having gone to school here in Tokyo-3 for so long and being conditioned to recognise that lesson naptime, the lesson was totally lost on the confused teen.

Asuka hadn't spoken a word to him all day. Neither had Rei, but that was hardly unexpected. Just because she was becoming more open with her feelings didn't mean she was going to go totally out of character. Soon enough the three silent teens entered the geofront, and made their way through Nerv HQ to the changing rooms.

'_Is it just me...or have the corridors gotten whiter?' _Shinji shook his head quickly, dispelling that train of thought. Rounding the last corner to the locker rooms all Shinji was surprised to see a small contingent of guards waiting for them at the door. One of them anyway, there was no real need to assume that all the pilots were wanted by whoever sent their welcome party. As they approached the foremost figure who was now shown to be a female Section 2 agent turned to greet them. Bowing slightly to the three pilots she spoke calmly and crisply.

"You're presence is requested in the Commander's Office." Shinji and Asuka exchanged glances of surprise; Misato had said she had no intention of using the official office that came with her new rank. She said the painting on the ceiling made her naseous. Asuka's suggestion that she just redecorate was dismissed, under the excuse that she prefered to be closer to the Command Bridge anyway. Asuka's suggestion that it was because she wanted to play tic-tac-toe against the Bridge Bunnies was hotly denied.

Surrounded by a wall of suits, all of whom towered above the three they were escorting, the pilots made their way to their new destination. After they reached one of the moving walkways Asuka started talking quietly.

"That place always gave me the creeps. Won't be nearly as bad with the bastard gone though." None of them had gone into the room since his father's disappearance. Shinji was surprised when Rei nodded slowly.

"I too am glad he is no longer there." Asuka looked at Rei for a few seconds expressionlessly, before gently nudging the quiet girl's arm with her own and smiling at her. Shinji watched the exchange, but noted that some of their escort shifted uneasily when referance to the former commander, however circumspect, was made. He chuckled to himself silently. It looks like even some of Section 2 were uncomfortable around Gendo Ikari. His attention was re-focused as Rei continued to speak. "He made me into a doll. I do not wish to be a doll." Her voice trailed off into a whisper. This time Asuka reached over and squeezed the First Child's hand. Rei looked at her in appreciation, before returning to her contemplation of the broad sholdered back in front of her. Stepping off the walkway the group continued their walk, arriving outside the broad double doors of the Commander's Office soon after. Asuka stepped forward, curious to know what the deal was and strode through the doors unconcernedly, Rei following quickly behind her.

"All right Misato, what's the big deal-." The German girl cut off abruptly. Shinji, being the last in was still coming through the doors when both of the girls in fornt of him stopped dead. Concerned he moved further forward, opting to step around Rei rather than try and squeeze between the two girls. Leaning around the blue haired girl, he to, tensed at what he saw.

His father. Sat behind his desk leaning forward with his elbows on the wood, hands clasped in front of his face.

The shock alone stunned him into silence, though even had he been able to speak he would have had no idea what he wanted to say. He heard the door swing shut behind them with a click, plunging the room into near complete darkness. The soft, sepia illumination of the wall and ceiling light panels only barely enough to make out the intricate design above his head of the Tree of Life. Silence reigned. Dully Shinji became aware of harsh breathing in the still air, tried to stifle it, believing it to be his own. Only after his attempts failed did he realise that it was not coming from him, but from Rei. Turning to look at her in the darkness, Shinji's breath caught, lodged in his throat like a chicken bone lodged in his larynx. Sweat clearly stood out on her pale skin and her ruby eyes had shrunk. Her body trembled visably and her breath was harsh and ragged. Her eyes were fixed on the man who sat behind the desk upon the sphere of God. Shinji looked further over, past Rei. Asuka's face was set, her hands clenched tightly and her arms shook with the strain.

The sound of the chair shifting across the floor drew Shinji's attention back towards his father, who had now stood and was walking towards the three of them. He halted a dozen feet away from Shinji, his face eclipsed in shadow so that the younger of the two men could only see his features chisled in blackness.

"Rei. You will move in with me tomorrow." He paused. "I am your legal guardian and I am...taking responsiblity." The backhanded slap at his own son did not go unnoticed. The boy clenched his fists to stop the twitch he had developed after the 3rd Angel from showing his distress. Shinji watched Rei as she shook, now blatantly, with no hope of anyone failing to notice. Her breath came in short gasps, as if it were thick tar and she was choking on it as she inhaled. Shinji couldn't see his father's eyes but he could tell they had shifted away from Rei. "Pilot Sohryu. I am surprised to see you. I was under the impression you were still comatose." He lied. Shinji knew that he would know Asuka had woken up. But he said it anyway. "No matter. You were just as useless either way. So much like you're mother. Poor mental health must be a trait in your family." He was taunting her. Shinji knew she was sensitive about that above anything else, an irrational fear she didn't think he knew about, a fear that had left her screaming as she awoke in the night, a fear of going insane like her mother. And his father knew it too. An imperceptable shift in the elder Ikari's posture told Shinji that his attention was back on Rei. Asuka seemed to have shrunk into herself, eyes wide and her head shaking back and forth in denial. Shinji could feel his fists clench tighter. Could hear the whispered mantra Rei was repeating over and over under her breath.

_"I am not a doll, I am not a doll, I am not a doll, I am not a doll, I am not a doll, I am not a doll, I am not a doll, I am not a doll, I am..."_

Tighter. Could see Asuka's eyes squeezed shut as she stuggled to defeat her doubts and demons, now given a new lease of life by his father. Could feel his nails digging into his palms, the pain a distant thing. Could see Rei shaking her head violently, trying to tear her eyes away from the man standing before her. Could see the dry sobs wrack his German roomate's body. Could see Rei's foot lift off the ground as it tried to take her to stand at Gendo's side, making the lilac dress she had bought with Asuka swish gently around her ankles. Could feel the sharp pain as his nails pierced the skin. Could see the tears leaking out of Asuka's clenched eyes. Could see the tears streaking down Rei's pale face. Could feel the cold blood drip from between his fingers onto the floor. Tighter. Tighter. Tighter.

_Crack._

"No."

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"HE DID WHAT?" Misato Katsuragi's roar of fury echoed through the command centre. She had come in to pick up the children as soon as they finished their tests, planning to take them out for a meal afterwards. She had enjoyed going out with the three of them the week before. They were her family after all. She'd invited Makoto along, saying that they could both head to Nerv HQ straight after the meal, sleep in one of the ward rooms and use the change of uniform they left in their lockers for their next morning shift. More than happy to spend time with her and the pilots, he had agreed. Which was why they were both in the Command Centre when they weren't meant to be. Which is why Commander Misato Katsuragi was informed personally that Major Gendo Ikari had summoned the Children to his office by a group of perturbed Section 2 agents.

Makoto leaned over Shoji's shoulder, fingers flying across the keyboard as he tried to break the encryption Ikari had locked onto the security camera's in his office. Shoji was trying to stay the hell out of the way. Hyugga and he may nominally be of the same rank, but he knew when to step aside. Ritsuko and Maya were trying the same thing, while Shigeru was cycling through camera's outside the office door trying to find a clue as to what was occuring within. And Misato was standing, shaking with fury, eyes staring past them all, seeing things they weren't seeing. They were her family.

Spinning on her heel she stalked to her desk, ripping open one of the lower draws as she reached it. The snap and click of the a clip being rammed home into her handgun echoed loudly in the cavern like room. She met Ritsuko's eyes and then Makoto's, both of whom immediatly abandoned their posts to follow her to the door as she headed for the office. The squeal of swivel chairs was the only indication that Maya and Shigeru were following them. They were her family.

She started running and heard the others running too, their footfalls echoing loudly on the steel floors. They were her family.

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He stepped forward. In front of Rei. In front of Asuka. Just him and his father, standing on the tree of Sephiroth.

"No what, pilot?"

"You can't have them. I won't let you." Steel coated voices dueling in the darkness. "They are not yours. And you cannot have them." Burning anger, searing into his father's shadowed eyes like augers. Watching him shift, uneasy, discomforted.

"You forget yourself pilot. You are in no position to deny me anything."

"I am in the only position I want to be in." Stood here, where I need to be. Where I want to be. Where I have to be. Between you and them. "And I deny you _everything._" The last word a hiss drawn out into the darkness, trailing off like a viper's warning. Turning sharply, walking away from him, between the two girls as they stared at him. Pushing the door open he gently ushered them out, softening his eyes as they both hurried past him into the harsh artificial light outside. As he swung the door closed.

"Running away from me again?" Pause.

"No, father. I'm walkingaway from you." Click.

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Misato rounded the corner as the two girls hurried out of the room, Shinji holding the door open for them. Slowing to a jog, she saw him pause and lean back inside the room for a second before closing the door behind him. As she reached them Shinji stepped forward, between the two girls, both of whom had red eyes and tear streaks trailing down their cheeks. Misato gasped at the overt show of emotion from both girls.

"Misato? Could one of you take us back to the appartment?" Misato nodded slowly, her eyes flittering between the three of them, ignoring the test they had scheduled.

"Makoto? Could you...?" Hyugga nodded his assent quickly.

"Sure. C'mon kids, I'm your driver for today so lets get you home." Misato watched as the three children accompanied Hyugga down the corridor all seemingly lost in thier own thoughts. Resolutely turning around, she stalked past the other three member of her group and stepped through the door, closing it behind her.

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Gendo Ikari sat in his chair, leaning back so he could stare up at the System Sephirothica marked out on the ceiling. Today had been a day of...surprises.

_"I don't know what happened in here but if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll put a bullet in your brain and bury you so deep in Terminal Dogma that the rats won't even find you." _She had spun away from him then, so much like his son had done before her. _"Enjoy the darkness, Major Ikari."_

_"Why did you do it Gendo? It's not like the outcome would have made any difference to our current circumstances. Or were you seriously expecting Rei to meekly rejoin you?" _He could still hear the incredulity in his old sensei's voice as he asked the question from his place in the shadows where no-one had noticed him.

_"It is of little importance. I was merely curious to see their reactions. Even had she agreed I had no intention of living with Rei."_

_"...I see."_

Unstopping the bottle one last time, he poured the remainder of the amber liquid into a tumbler. He stared at the glass.

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Shinji stood on the balcony of the appartment, like he had so many nights before and watched the city. After Makoto had dropped them off and he had assured the Bridge Bunny that they were all ok he had prepared a quick meal for the two girls and himself. Rei had seemed somewhat confused about her reason for being at the Katsuragi residence but Shinji had waved away her inquiry and told her she was sleeping in his bed tonight while he took the couch. After hesitation she had nodded and retired to his room after he gave her one of his clean shirts to sleep in. Both the girls had gone to bed early, but Shinji couldn't sleep. After half-heartedly watching television for an hour he had tried playing on one of the old console games. A sport title, one he was never very good at and he hoped that by focusing his attention on the game he could ignore the thoughts that plagued him. He realised after catching himself seriously considering playing for another 3 hours to unlock the 'hairstyle edit' option that he may well have found the greater of two evils. So he had retreated to the balcony, a little disappointed that the overcast sky wouldn't let him watch the stars. Instead he focused his attention on the park a couple of blocks from his home, watching the tree's sway with the breeze.

But the cool night air did not bring him the peace of mind it usually did and so with a rueful smile at the cloud shrouded sky he slid the balcony door open and stepped inside. Deciding that since he was doing nothing, he might as well do nothing on the couch where the was a chance of sleep, albiet uncomfortable. Feeling the call of nature he softly padded down the corridor to the bathroom, past the two bedrooms. Having concluded his business transaction with the porcelain bowl, one which had resulted in mutual benefits for both participants, and washed his hands Shinji exited the bathroom once more.

Passing his room he could pick out the sign Misato had given him when he first arrived in Tokyo-3. _Shinji's Lovely Suit._ He supposed it was a joke at the time, seeing as before his arrival the only room that was in any kind of decent or 'lovely' condition was his. The rest looked like an Eva had gone postal in a land fill. Smiling faintly as he examined the now faded lettering, he paused, hearing a sound from the other side of the door. Leaning closer he heard the sound of quiet sobs, a sound he was more than familiar with. Hesitantly pressing his ear against the cool wood, he heard Rei Ayanami crying. Rocking back on his heels, Shinji considered, then slid the door open and stepped in quietly, shutting the door behind him. In the dim light he watched as Rei, sprawled on his bed, shook and trembled with the choked sobs that wracked her body. As he stepped closer she seemed to register his presence and turned slightly so she could see who had disturbed her misery.

"S-Shinji...?" He winced as he heard her hoarse voice cracking as she uttered his name. Refusing to be deterred he stepped closer and knelt by the bedside, seeing that her red eyes were focused on him, though she still shook. Not knowing what to do to comfort the distraught girl he played his hand lightly on her back, intending to rub gentle circles and mutter senseless soothings. The weight of Rei slamming into him nearly knocked him flat on his ass, but he steadied himself even as the girl wrapped her arms around him, pushed her face into the crook between his shoulder and neck and bawled her eyes out. Still unsure of his actions he pulled her closer and held her in his arms as she wept. Bringing his head down to rest on her light feathery hair he heard her whisper faintly through her tears.

"Please...tell me I'm not a doll..." Tightening his embrace, he hushed her delicately.

"You're not a doll, Rei...it's ok..." She seemed to relax at his assurances and loosened her grip on him. "You'll still be here tomorrow..." He felt Rei nod into his shoulder but he still held her. It was a few minutes before he realised that she had falled asleep. Trying to lift her onto the bed without slamming her into the far wall, he adjusted her limbs towards what looked like a comfortable position before pulling the covers up to her chin. Preparing to turn away, he was surprised to hear her start mumbling something, thinking she had awoken once again. Leaning down to assure the girl that he was still there, Shinji noticed that she was just mumbling in her sleep.

"...brother..." Smiling softly Shinji bent down and kissed Rei softly in the forehead, feeling her azure hair against his lips.

"Goodnight little sister." Turning away from the sleeping girl he stepped back into the corridor and silently slid the door shut behind him. Now at a loss, he started for his bed for the night. The couch. Before he had three steps he heard the sound of soft crying once again, and spun pressing his ear to his door quickly. Silence greeted him on the other side. And if Rei wasn't the one crying, then there was only one other it could be. Well, it could be the penguin but Shinji felt the chances of that were sufficiently slim to be worth ruling out. Stepping down the corridor a few paces he stopped outside Asuka's room, where the crying was now obviously coming from. Scrubbing a hand through his hair and swallowing thre lump that was making a spirited bid for freedom via his throat he slowly slid the door open. Much like Rei before her Asuka was face down on her bed, but unlike Rei she was holding her pillow to her face trying to stifle the sounds of her misery, to little effect. Stepping closer, his desire to help tempered with a desire to live, he whispered into the darkness.

"...Asuka?" At hearing her name the redhead spun in her bed, her panic and terrified gaze locking onto the young man who lived with her. Her mouth hanging open and tears still streaking down her cheeks unabated, she struggled to regain some sliver of composure.

"Get out.." Her voice, hitching on the sobs and hiccups still in her chest came out weak and hoarse. "Get out...damn you..." Shinji stared at her unmoving. "Get out!" Agner kindling the fire behind her eyes once more she moved across the room towards him. "GET OUT!" Even now shouting as loudly as she could, it would barely reach throught the walls, it even that. Seeing he was not intending to move, Asuka shoved him with her arms, but her body was still weak from her tears and only accomplished pushing him back a few steps into the door behind him. Vision blurred by tears that she could feel pouring down her face, Asuka pushed again, only forcing him into the wooden door again. Shinji just stared at her, lost for words. Frustrated that the boy wouldn't just let her feel like shit in peace, she hammered on his chest as hard as she could, the movements tearing more sobs from her raw throat. "...Stop looking at me like that...stop looking at me..." Rythmically pounding her fists off his chest she vented her emotions, all the pent up pain and frustration she had been feeling since that Sunday last week and topped off with seeing the bastard today. "..why do you have to be so...why?...why can't i stop lov-" Abruptly throwing herself at the boy, she rested her head on his chest and let the tears take her, unable to speak. Dully feeling the boy press his face into her hair she pressed her little plams into his chest as his arms wrapped around her and drew her closer. Instinctivly responding she pressed herself tighter against him as she wept, listening to his soft whispers as he mumbled into her ear. Just glad to be with him.

Shinji felt the young girl's body pressed into him, the soft warm feeling of her breasts pushing against him. Ignoring the sensation he kept stroking her fiery hair, trying to sooth her. He could feel her wet tears dampen his shirt where she was pressed against him, but ignored that too, finding it much easier to put that out of his mind than the other.

"Sshhh...I'm here. I'll always be here for you Asuka...I'll never leave you..." Dully realising what he was saying to the girl in his arms he still couldn't muster the strength to try to amend his words. They were too much the truth to change. Feeling Asuka relax and snuggle into his embrace, he shifted the arm that wasn't stroking her haor to cradle her slightly, so she wouldn't just drop to the floor if she fell asleep against him. After hearing her breathing slow and become deeper he realised that was just what had happened. Standing there, he remained in that position for a while allowing her to fall into a deep enough sleep so that he could move her without her awakening and because he couldn't make himself let her go.

Finally he picked her up, trying not to stumble as he cradled her against him, her head still leaning on his chest. Depositing her on her bed as gently as possible, he wrapped har blankets around her as best he could, seeing as he had no way of moving them before he set her down. Kneeling at her bedside, he found himself focusing on her soft rosebud lips as she breathed. Found himself inching closer to her as he had the day before they had defeated the 7th Angel. And pulling away at the last minute, just as he had done then.

_'That wouldn't be fair to her.'_

"Goten nacht Asuka."

Stepping out of her room he didn't hear her mumble his name in her sleep.

Collapsing into the couch, he stared at the ceiling without seeing. Turning to the balcony window he could see the deluge of rain outside the glass door.

_'When did it start raining?'_ Thinking off the storm outside, a sudden crack of thunder made him jump in his seat. He was glad Pen-Pen was asleep. He knew the penguin didn't like storms. Absently wondering how the kitten Rei adopted would be dealing with the storm he sat up abruptly. Rei had come back to this appartment after leaving Nerv so the creature would have been left alone all day. _'And unfed too.'_ Looking at the downpour outside, he thought of the cat hungry and alone in Rei's desolate flat. He shook his head to clear away the image. It reminded him too much of what his childhood had been like. Closing his eyes and leaning back into the arm rest of the couch Shinji tried to sleep.

Five minutes later he cursed quietly as he levered himself off the couch. Stepping into the front hall he slipped his shoes on, grabbed a coat and took an umberella from the stand. As Shinji stepped out into the rain to begin the walk towards the ruby eyed girl's home he thanked the Gods that at least the rain meant that people who saw him couldn't see his tears.

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Ok explanation time yeah? Well fine then. Firstly the Kensuke thing. Every romance anime I have ever seen has featured the habit of 'confessing', which seems to involvr going up to someone you secretly like, _who may have never met you_, and telling them your feelings before asking them to be your boy/girlfriend. And as we all know romance anime is a totally accurate representation of adolescent Japanese life so that's the basis for that scene. It's also why there are so many Japanese stalker in the world. Perfect Blue my ass. Also in Japan it is considered rude to discuss hobbies as it is believed they are a personal thing. Similarly while the term 'otaku' has been Americanisized, the actual japanese meaning is rather more derogatory, referring to someone who would take their hobby to obsessive lengths, to the point of damaging their social life for it. Both of these explain Kensuke's initial desire not to be caught alone in a field playing at war.

Next my portrayal of the girls and Shinji with Gendo. The girls will get time next chapter to explain why they rected so violently and my portrayal of Shinji stems from both the times in the anime when he defies his father. The time whne he threatens to trash the HQ after the 13th and when he quits following that incident. I'll admit it's OOC to a degree but it's the best I could do while keeping to the confines of the scene. My apologies to anyone who doesn't think it worked out too well.

One last thing though, I want a show of hands as to how many readers thought at the begining of the scene I was gonna make Shinji do the nasty with Rei. Or Asuka. hell it's the conclusion Iwould have jumped too. And with that disturbing insight into the void of darkness that is my mind...

Anyway the next chapters the last, so then I can finally sleep. Yahoo. Any complaints about the chapter can be addressed to 'Bite Me'.

Ja Ne.


	7. Final Chapter

Final chapter kids. Thanks to all you reviewed and will review after the tale has come to an end. I have vague plans for the future, ( NB:- THIS IS A LIE! A TOTAL LIE! IT ALMOST HAS IT'S OWN GRAVITY IT'S SUCH A BIG LIE!) but hopefully this will not be the last fanfic I churn out.

On a side note, I've just finished playing Girlfriend of Steel. How OOC is Asuka? Holy Robot Jesus. (No offence to Christians anywhere...or robot Christians...erm)

For disclaimer see first chapter. Fool.

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She found him lying on the couch, his head propped up on his arm and a minute ball of fur curled up on his chest, both of them asleep. Rei widened her crimson eyes as she saw her kitten contentedly sleeping in the hollow of the young pilots chest, confused as to how she had arrived in the Katsuragi apartment. The albino girl then noticed Shinji's damp hair and the wet patch it had made on the armrest of the couch, still not dry. Looking outside where it was still raining, though a drizzle rather than the relentless deluge of earlier in the night, it wasn't hard to surmise what had happened. Shinji had walked to her apartment and retrieved her cat. Her eyes were drawn to a jacket carelessly thrown to the side of their make-shift bed. Picking it up absently from it's own little puddle on the carpet, Rei saw that the inside was covered in tiny tan and brown hairs. Looking back to the scene on the couch she considered silently.

_'It seems Shinji kept him inside his jacket for the journey back.'_ After she had arrived home with her tiny companion she had checked it's gender, ascertaining it to be male. She was glad that her kitten was here. The storm last night would have frightened the poor creature and she had not been back to the apartment to feed the animal before arriving at Shinji's abode. After yesterdays events she had been... distracted and had forgotten about her new roommate. Looking for a place to put the damp jacket, she settled for putting it on the table in the kitchen as she passed through to get a glass of water. She noted that Shinji had also brought some of her newly aquired pet supplies back with him. A small bowl had been placed on the floor with the remnants of the can of cat food the kitten had devoured last night. After a couple seconds of searching Rei retrieved a glass tumbler and filled it with water, letting the tap run for a while so it ran cold. As she finished a soft thump behind her caught her attention. Turning to find the source of the noise Rei observed the cat stretching on the floor by the couch. Apparently noticing his new owner she padded through to the kitchen and began to rub herself against Rei's bare legs. Bending down to run her hand across the animal's soft silky fur, it occurred to Rei that she had yet to name him. Pouring a measure of her water into another bowl she set it down next to the first, amused as her nameless cat sprung to the water, quickly lapping it up. Crouching on her heels with Shinji's shirt covering her thighs, Rei thought about names.

_'A name is used to define and to catalogue something. Yet, I do not wish to catalogue this. I wish...a more meaningful reason for naming him. A definition for more reasons than just identification. He is my companion, not a aquisition.'_ With that thought in mind she quickly decided on a name for him. 'Rin'. Nodding to herself in affirmation of her decision, Rei quietly slipped past the thirsty kitten and back into the living area sipping her own water. Intending to return to her own room, for it was still early and she could still get a few more hours sleep, the azure haired girl's attention was caught by the young boy sleeping on the couch once more as he shifted to a more comfortable position, sensing the absence of the weight on his chest. Turning towards Rei, Shinji adjusted his position so that he lay on his shoulder, and tucked his arm under himself absently, his face frowning slightly with the effort before relaxing again after his sleeping body found it's new alignment pleasing. Distracted by his movement her eyes were drawn to his hands, both of them wrapped in thin bandages across the palms. She had been the first to notice when they had arrived at the apartment, that his nails had pierced his skin and blood was dripping down his hands. Shinji had shrugged it off saying that he was going to disinfect and bandage them in a second. He had disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes and had returned with the gauze covering his injuries. She could only surmise they had occurred when they had been in the Commander's Office and felt a slight guilt at having not noticed until now. A glance at Asuka had shown that the redhead shared her feeling. But Shinji had shrugged it off and simply began making dinner.

From the pristine white of the bandages it seemed that the bleeding had stopped. Rei stood before the sleeping Third Child and examined his features, relaxed in slumber. They looked so different then they had when he had defied the Com- the elder Ikari, yet the same too. Even in his anger he had been passionate, his emotions roiling under the surface, churning like a wild river waiting to burst it's banks. In so many ways he was the antithesis of his father. The young woman couldn't stop the faint shiver that danced up her spine as she thought of the man who called himself her guardian. She had been too distracted by her abstract horror at seeing him again to notice, but she saw now that claiming to take responsibility for her was as much an insult to the child he had abandoned as it was a threat to her. Her eyes flittering across her brothers face Rei wondered if he resented her for the relationship she had used to have with his father. She thought it likely that he had, but wondered if it was still the case. She hoped not. Gendo Ikari's words skittered across her mind as she remembered her first meeting with him as her second 'self'. What few confused memories she possessed from her first incarnation had shown a man largely indifferent to her, being present always but never really showing affection. The man she had met after her death had terrified her. His eyes were cold as stone, a man appraising a tool not a person, wondering how much tolerance she had before she would break and be of no use to him. She remembered his words, that he had cast aside his son in place of her, and that she would have to prove herself worthy of his attention. She remembered the test she had undergone with the doctors. She could not remember well but she thought these..'tests' had predated Ritsuko Akagi's involvement with her. She remembered the pain, the burning agony that had flared across her limbs when they injected her with fluid after fluid. And her guardians words to her every time she tried to synchronize with her Eva.

_'A doll to control a doll. Remember that Rei.'_ Rarely did a day pass when he didn't make it clear that she was expendable. The day he had shown her the Chamber of Guf was one of the last times she remembered expressing emotion openly, rather than containing it within. Her shock and fear at seeing a dozen of herself floating in the yellowish liquid, smiling faintly, the revulsion and horror she had felt as the technician's fished out one of the 'spares' and the way she had vomited with disgust and terror as Gendo put bullet after bullet into the other her, splattering crimson blood over the sides of the freakish 'aquarium'. Her had told her then that she was expendable to him, and that there was always more...

_'...if you prove unsatisfactory.'_ Until that day she had not known what she was. He had kept it from her, saying that she had merely lost consciousness when Naoko Akagi throttled her and had not died. At the time she had been young, a child and still disoriented by the experience. She was not hard to convince. His explanation of her origins was now thorough and complete.

He had left her there for two day's huddled on the cold metal floor, weeping and trying not to see her nude 'sisters', trying to pretend they weren't there, desperate to block their ethereal giggles.

It had felt like she had been punched in the stomach the first time Asuka had called her a doll, bringing dark memories of the Commander saying the same thing time and again. But by then she had known how to mask her emotions. How to simply not feel. How to be the Commander's perfect little doll. After the disappearance of Gendo Ikari she thought she would weep for joy at her freedom...but only discovered she had forgotten how to cry. The only tears she could shed were tears of pain when she was injured. She brought her hands together, pressed against her chest. She had only had a week of experience with her brother and her new companions, those she could think of friends. She had made so little progress, but she was loath to give up even the slivers she had discovered of herself. Seeing him once again in the room that had epitified everything he was - barren, cold and arrogant to a fault - had nearly crushed her. Until Shinji had spoken. For those who didn't know Gendo Ikari it would seem as if Shinji's words had no effect. The man's control of his emotions was as great as Rei's. His desire that it should be that way made it even more effective. To Rei, however it was like watching a hedgehog poleax a rhino. She didn't think it would ever be possible for her to express just how much gratitude she had to Shinji for taking her away from that place, or for comforting her earlier in the night. In the dim light of the apartment, lit only by the street lamps below, Rei Ayanami smiled at the boy she had come to think of as her brother.

"What are you doing up Rei?"

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Asuka stood just outside the shadows of the corridor that led to her room, looking at Rei curiously. The angle of the couch largely obscured Shinji from view but she could see his feet propped up on the armrest. It had hidden Rei for the most part as well, as a result of her position, apparently knelt next to the couch. It was only because the German girl had seen her mop of cerulean hair that she had noticed her. Rei lifted her eyes to meet her's when she asked the question, then stood, moving around the couch obviously not wanting to wake up Shinji. Lifting the glass of water she gestured pointedly, conveying without words her reason for being there. Asuka nodded, a flash of relief passing across her face briefly. Despite what Rei had said to her two days ago she still felt insecure about the two of them alone together. She was too unsure of where she stood with Shinji to be anything else. Hesitating briefly she moved out of the shadows to stand next to the other girl, angling her head so she could look down on the silent boy. Gentle sapphire eyes softly traced his features, at once glad beyond comparison that his cerulean eyes were not open and sad beyond belief. She would give anything for him to feel for her what she did for him. The normally loud girl felt a few tears forming at the thought.

Blinking rapidly to rid herself of the accumulated water, she found herself knelt at his side listening to his breathing. Looking around she found Rei standing at her side, eyes indicating that she understood how Asuka felt and would not intrude on her desire for privacy. Quickly and quietly she returned to the kitchen.

Asuka, reminding herself to thank the First Child later turned back to Shinji. His face was so different than the one he had shown earlier. She remembered the few brief minutes they had spent in the cavernous office that the former commander had occupied. She knew he had seen her react so violently to his father's presence, could feel his eyes on her as she shook in abject terror. Hearing his voice...had brought it all back...

The only thing Asuka really remembered about the 15th was Gendo Ikari's voice, cold as ice, booming through her cockpit audio system, calmly giving the order for Rei to retrieve the Lance and denying Shinji the permission to help her. As she was deluged by the torrent of memories she had tried to hold at bay for so long, his voice had become inextricably linked with them, hotwired into everything she feared, every dark little memory that plagued her. In the whirlpool of her consciousness his voice...was the only thing she could distinguish from the shapeless form of her terror and pain. Seeing him again...more importantly hearing his voice had unleashed the hordes of demons that competed for her soul. His voice was only one of the many things that had crept up in her dreams, it's presence at her 'mind-rape' enough to make her loath and fear it. Hearing it again after so long had transported her right into the middle of her worst nightmare. She had only vaguely heard his casual insults about her mental health, but those had plunged her further into the horror. A horror she had been unable to escape until Shinji had spoken and released her. Like she had wished so many times that he had back then. Curled into a ball in her plug, she had wanted more than anything to hear Shinji speak to her, to have Shinji rescue her from the pain. He hadn't been able to then...but now he had.

Knelt at his side, Asuka was startled to feel the cool streaks of tears as they fell from her eyes. She had been crying so much recently, she was almost inured to the sensation. Her tremulous smile took in her young, silent, companion.

"Baka...why do you always make my cry?" Jerkily, she reached out a hand to his brow and trembled as she brushed his hair free of his face as delicately as she could. Breathing in shakily, she stood and retreated to the kitchen.

Seeing Rei sat at the table, behind a wet jacket and stroking the kitten that was in her lap, Asuka made a point to ask her where the cat had come from, but later. She sat down to Rei's right and stared at the cool surface of the table, contemplating what she wanted to say.

" Thank you...for giving me some privacy." Asuka whispered, both because she didn't want to wake Shinji and because she couldn't bring herself to speak any louder. Rei pinioned her with her scarlet eyes and smiled slightly, nodding her acceptance of the thanks.

"Do you love him?" Asuka might have expected the question if she wasn't sure her fellow pilot already knew the answer. As things stood her head snapped up, eyes wide with panic as Rei regarded her calmly. She had no problem with Rei already knowing, but being asked to vocalise her feelings was more than she felt she could handle. The redhead's mouth began to open and close as her mind whipped through denials, acceptances and distractions seemingly unable to settle on any single one. Finally Asuka lowered her gaze to the table once again before whispering again, this time even quieter then before.

"...Yes." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rei nod expressionlessly. After a while the pale girl spoke again.

"I do not know how he feels for you...but I suspect the feeling is mutual." Smiling once more at her opposite she stood, holding the minute ball of fur and strode quietly to her room. Asuka remained at the table for some time. Lost in her thoughts.

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The adolescent denizens of Tokyo-3 awoke with a mixture of cheer and dejection. The latter because it was a Monday and hence a school day, the former because it was the only day that week when they were to attend school. Monday itself was a half day and the rest of the week they had to themselves. A cause for celebration therefore.

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In the aftermath of Third Impact Nerv had taken over much of the administration and governmental control of Tokyo-3, having these responsibilities placed at their feet after the UN opted to reconstitute the organization. It was felt that allowing them the onus of running the city would make up for the fact that they really didn't have anything to do except wait for the unlikely event of an Angel attack. However most of the bureaucratic infrastructure had also been re-enstated and the Magi supervised most of the day to day activities and running of the most technologically advanced city in Japan. Which is what allowed Misato Katsuragi to spend vast swathes of her office hours watching anime re-runs rather than actually doing work. This fact alone was enough to enrage one Gendo Ikari. The further facts that he had the God of hangovers from finishing of a excellent bottle of brandy and that his seven story Curry Ramen fort had fallen over were not helping.

The former commander of Nerv, now looking even more dishevelled than usual thanks to dark circles under his eyes and half his hair matted to the left side of his head as a result of falling asleep on his desk, was alternating between scanning reports of Nerv activities and glaring half heartedly at his old comrade, daring him to make a comment about his appearance. His glare intensified when Kouzo continued to pretend that his younger student was not mentally willing him to die and innocently removed a small comb from his sleeve, proceeding to brush his hair humming a mild, but jaunty tune. Ikari's glare may have been all the more effective had his face not been distinctly green.

Sighing and turning his attention back to the reports Gendo scowled irritably, both at what he read and the throbbing behind his eyeballs.

"I can't believe this. Katsuragi has made use of none of the nine contingency plans I formulated to seize control of the Japanese government. She hasn't even annexed China!" Gendo sighed once again, lamenting his successor's lack of conquering vision. He lent back in his chair listening to his teacher's reply, seriously considering braining Fuyutsuki with a paperweight because he was still combing his hair.

"To be fair Ikari, not all those plans were brilliant." Fuyutsuki paused as he heard a repeated soft slapping sound behind him. Almost as if someone was throwing and catching something heavy absently, trying to gauge it's weight. Putting the thought out of his mind he continued. "The one about using the Evangelions in a 'dance off' to determine who ruled the country was not your best work." Gendo smirked.

"On the contrary. The performances of both the Second and Third Children during the battle with the 7th were enough to guarantee the success of that scenario." He shrugged. "Besides if we lost we'd just stand on the competition and steal the prize. Would you argue with a size 700 right foot?" Kouzo shook his head in exasperation. He also mused silently that he had come across Ikari inside the toilets once zipping up his trousers and declaring the action 'according to the scenario'. After that whenever Gendo told him that 'things were going according to the scenario' he wasn't nearly as reassured. A slight thunk behind him, alerted Fuyutsuki to that fact that he had been right. And more importantly that the paperweight had been put down. A rustling indicated that his comrade had picked up the papers again in it's stead. "Where is the iron fisted control? The ability to strike fear into the innocent at the drop of a hat? All my effort's wasted. Look at this..." Fuyutsuki noticed that Gendo's voice had taken on a whining tinge as he saw his legacy of hate and terror slip through his fingers. "...Katsuragi has declared a five day holiday to commemorate the end of the Angel War. The damage to our profit margins will be immeasurable." Having given up trying to find exactly where the organization of Nerv could possibly make a profit, Fuyutsuki had decided that Gendo only used the phrase because he had done a one year business course in college and thought it sounded cool.

"Well it will mean there are less people at Nerv. There's only a skeleton crew present now, which means your little...game should be all the more easy." Even from his position in front of the younger man Kouzo could _hear_ the smirk rippling across his face.

"This is true." Leaning back in his chair Gendo snapped his fingers. Abruptly where no one had been a second ago...there was now 'someone'. Three 'someones' to be exact. Crouched in position around the front of the desk, the three figures seemed to merge with the shadows, their black clothing making it impossible to see where they ended and the darkness began. Every inch of their bodies covered and their faces hidden from view, they were the shadow warriors of Nerv. Nerv Ninja. And they served only Gendo Ikari. They never questioned his orders or gainsaid his wishes. They were too well trained. So if they were suddenly required to abandon their wakizashi's in favour of a less practical weapon and remove their traditional face coverings in favour of a plastic mask depicting a blue haired school girl they would do so without hesitation. They did not move when they heard the elder of the two men groan loudly.

Gendo's smirk grew...and so did his headache.

"The Rei Ninja are ready for their new duties I see." The three silent figures dipped their heads in agreement. "Very well. As you know my plans for Nerv-wide Gendofication are nearly at fruition. The only room that remains to be Gendoified is the command centre. This is always occupied, most of the time by the commander of the enemy forces. Ergo Gendofication must take place with the enemy present. Only you, the elite of my forces are fit for the task. Are you prepared?" In silent answer the three figures reached behind their backs and removed their new weapons. Paintbrushes. It had occurred to each of them at one time or another that this new weapon would make committing seppuku rather problematic. At a dismissing nod from their lord they melted into the shadows once again.

"Don't you think you're overdoing things Ikari?" Fuyutsuki's question was tinged with uncertainty. His old friend had been acting...decidedly unusual lately. Receiving nothing as an answer he shrugged and absentmindedly removed the comb from his sleeve and raised it to his hair once again. "Well, lets hope Katsuragi doesn't notice your little team-"

_Twack. _Thump.

In the new silence of his extravagant office, Gendo Ikari calmly buzzed through to a switchboard floors below.

"Major Fuyutsuki appears to have fallen over. Please send help immediately." Gendo leant back in his chair before pausing thoughtfully. After a moments stillness he stood up and retrieved his paperweight.

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"So we have the beautiful Misato to thank for our week off, huh?" Kensuke Aida grinned behind the lens of his ever-present camera, zooming in on Shinji's grimacing face. Grunting softly and stretching his neck as much as possible, trying to get all the kinks out that a night of sleep on the couch had provided, Shinji ignored his friend momentarily. When he had decided that he wasn't going to be able to alleviate the stiffness in his neck anytime soon he gave up and turned his attention to his friends. He smiled slightly at that thought. In just a week Rei, Hikari and Asuka had become a regular part of his social circle. Old animosities had not been set aside, as was regularly displayed when Asuka chased Touji around the classroom brandishing a chair, but the distance that they had had only a week ago seemed to have gradually faded. Even the aforementioned duo had seemingly gone from outright hatred to more of a bantering posture...backed up by a goodly amount of hatred. The more things chance, the more they stay the same.

"Yeah, our slob of a guardian decided that a weeks celebration would be an ideal commemoration of mankind defeating it's greatest threat." Asuka said with a light sneer. She wasn't looking forward to the coming week in the Katsuragi household. Misato had spent the entirety of the celebration last year, the first of it's kind, on an alcohol fuelled bender. There was only so many times one could open the door at night and have your guardian fall through the doorway without becoming frustrated. For Asuka this number was zero. Kensuke shrugged in response.

"A week off is a week off. Don't complain so much." The distinct popping sound of a vein erupting out of Asuka's forehead was clearly heard in the hush of the classroom.

"Are you saying I complain too much Stooge!" Kensuke began backing away, trying to put the bulk of the group between himself and the irate girl, stammering denials.

Watching Asuka stalk his friend like a field mouse, Shinji threw a look at Touji who simply shook his head. Nodding in return Shinji settled in to watch the show. Brotherhood of men be damned, the sandy haired youth was on his own for this one. Sighing at her best friend's violent nature, Hikari addressed the remaining three in the group, knowing Asuka was too distracted and Kensuke was in too much pain. Hearing a howl from behind her, Hikari winced.

"Are you all going to the festival tonight?" Shinji and Touji shared confused glances, while Rei stayed silent. Looking irritated Hikari shouted at the two boys. "The big festival! The one that starts the week of celebration?" Her eyes flickered back and forth between the two guys, looking for any sign of understanding. The two shared another glance, both wondering if they had better start backing away from their Class Rep before she injured someone. "ARGH! How can you not know about it!" Touji smiled weakly and began shifting uncomfortably.

"Well, it really wasn't that hard. We just-" Hikari screaming again and turning away slapped his weak joke out of the air like a elephant sitting on a paper plane. Crossing her arms and glaring out the window she was the vision of antagonised displeasure. Shinji, being Shinji, acted on both his desire for peace among his friends and a hitherto unrevealed death wish and spoke to the girl hesitantly, mentally bequeathing everything he owned to the penguin. She really had been hanging out with Asuka for too long.

"Er, why don't you tell us about the festival Hikari. We'd like to know, right Touji?" Touji just nodded dumbly trying to think of a way to escape the room that didn't involve diving out the window and hoping for the best. Spinning around in glee, the pigtailed girl slammed her palms onto Shinji's desk, behind which he still sat, beaming. Touji couldn't help but think she looked better with the lose ponytail she had worn before. He was also fairly certain that it was that time of the month for her, seeing as she was skipping gleefully through moods faster than he could keep up. He figured he'd just act like she was happy all the time and sooner or later her emotions would cycle back to that anyway. It was less stressful for him that way. "It's being held in the park we went to a couple of days ago. There's going to be rides because they re-opened the fair after the accident, and it's going to be done in the traditional style." Touji groaned, haplessly throwing himself into the way of enemy fire.

"Oh man, does that mean I have to wear a kimono? Even in a yukata, I'll boil alive." It was at this point that Touji recognised his impending doom, as the shadow of his enraged love interest loomed over him. "Eep." Eyes burning with apparently righteous fire Hikari leant forward intent on laying down the law. For she was Hikari, so it would be.

"You three Stooges are going to turn up tonight promptly at 6pm at the entrance to the festival, dressed appropriate for the occasion. Are we understanding each other, Su-za-ha-ra?" The way she bit off each syllable of his name, sounding as if she'd prefer to take a chunk out of his leg or something was distinctly unnerving. Touji nodded rapidly, from his position cowering on the floor. Shinji was wondering if Rei would allow him to use her as a human shield, at least until he reached the door...or the window. Hikari rocked back on her heels, her patented look of murderous wrath replaced near instantaneously with a deceptively sunny smile. "Good! C'mon Rei lets go talk to Asuka about what we're going to wear!" Rei nearly dropped her chopsticks as it became clear she was expected to attend this...event. Taking one look at the Class Rep's sunny smile she decided against declining. After all there were no spare bodies left. Calmly the two girls left the room, collecting Asuka on the way who now had Kensuke lifted across her shoulders and was making a spirited attempt to snap him in half despite his squeals of protest. Touji and Shinji looked at each other, then their twitching comrade on the floor.

"You're girlfriend's insane."

"**You're** telling **me**!"

Shinji had the grace to blush.

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Misato was bored. It went beyond the simple boredom that came from merely having nothing to do, where you felt tired yet frisky at the same time - as if you had loads of energy to do something, anything...except for the things on offer. Oh no, Commander Misato Katsuragi was so bored she had surpassed that low plain of boredom and had progressed to something greater, a higher state, bordering on the Zen. Which explained why she hadn't noticed she was drooling slightly. This contemplation of the universe and it's multitude of mysteries had brought her to this one inescapable conclusion therefore.

"I'm borreeeeddddd!"

"Misato shut up! I know you're bored! I'm bored to! Shigeru and Maya are bored! Having spoken to Shoji on only two occasions I can't be sure, but if I had to hazard a guess I'd say he was bored too!"

"Yep."

"Shut up Shoji."

"Shutting up ma'am." Ritsuko ended her tirade at her dear, oldest, aggravating friend, who looked totally unfazed by her anger. The rest of the bridge crew were to far into their own little boredom induced trances to be bothered noticing. It had been five minutes since Shigeru had fallen off his chair and no one had noticed yet. Not even Shigeru.

"Look Misato it's only a few more hours before we finish our shift and then you can go get roaringly drunk and embarrass Shinji and Asuka. Again." Absently wiping her mouth with the back of her hand Misato ignored her friend's acerbic humour. Sighing loudly and collapsing face first onto her desk she failed to notice the apparently empty shadow next to her swallow her favourite potted plant. Dragging her face onto her hand she leant haphazardly on her elbow, staring muzzily at the far distant wall, beyond the holographic representation of the surrounding landscapes, unaware of the three dark figures scuttling across the ceiling, leaving trails of white behind them.

"I can't believe that Ikari has repainted the entirety of Nerv. It took the original decorators months and he's done it in less than a week!" Misato leaned back in her chair, leaning her arms on the rests and let it swivel around slightly. A small plant that had not been there previously froze at her movement. Ritsuko was right though. In only a few more hours Nerv would shut down for the holiday, relying on the Mount Fuji observatory to send any warning needed and the Magi system to run the city while Nerv employees, baring the barest minimum would abandon the complex for their week off. She could almost taste the beer now. She glanced longingly at the vending machine, but after her rather extreme response to Major Ikari's Irish dancing, it had yet to be fixed and it's stock of Yebisu was gone. Strangely so was it's stock of Ramen, and she was sure she hadn't had that much recently.

"Did you hear?" Maya asked listlessly, her head lying down on her arms. "Major Fuyutsuki was admitted to the hospital ward earlier today. Apparently he has a concussion." Misato and Ritsuko stirred slightly at this, seeing as neither of them had heard.

"What happened to him?" Shigeru asked from his position on the floor. Maya grunted and shrugged as best she could while leant on the console.

"I don't know what happened. Major Ikari was there when it happened. He says that the old man just spontaneously fell over for absolutely no reason whatsoever. He was very specific about that." The two college friends shared glances and shrugged. Shoji, so engrossed in his recent manga purchase didn't notice the mostly black figure creeping down past his position, holding a can of paint between it's teeth. Dropping stealthily to the deserted section below it unsheathed it's weapons. In the spirit of it's profession certain changes had been made to the traditional paintbrush that it had wielded in it's master's office. Two paintbrushes had been joined by a length of chain about a foot and a half in length. These paint-nuchuku were it's weapon of choice. Grinning behind the mask it dipped both ends lightly in the paint and began to whirl them around it's body, leaving streaks of paint on the wall in front of it. The others had modified their weapons as well, but it preferred this configuration. It was maximised for stealth and speed, neither large nor unwieldy like the others had a potential to be. It's mission would be a success.

Misato was mulling over the fate of the former sub-commander and didn't notice the thin chain whip down from the ceiling and wrap itself around the plant on the opposite side of the desk to the one that had already disappeared. When the unseen presence was confident she wouldn't suddenly turn around, the plant was hauled into the shadows above. Misato snapped her fingers irritably.

"Anyone going to the festival?" Maya suddenly whipped her head up, nearly giving a Rei Ninja a heart attack in the process, and Shigeru slammed his head into the bottom of the console, a result of trying to do the same but not factoring in the fact that he was on the floor. Ritsuko looked at them both curiously, before a sly smile snaked it's way across her lips.

"Is someone going together?" Misato joined in, knowing the drill from their old days in college together.

"Like on a D-A-T-E?" Her wicked smile echoed her friends. Maya began to blush deeply, while Shigeru attempted to relocate from the floor to his seat without anyone noticing. Misato, seeing the girl blush and sensing that she would be easier prey jumped out of her chair and approached the hapless bridge bunny. "Aw, that's so sweet, isn't it Rits? How cute?" Throwing her arms around the startled tech's neck and hugging her close, she ignored the girls protests.

The second of the warriors of the shadow cursed silently, from it's position high above the command deck, where it was perched on a innocuous girder. When all the enemy were silent and stationary it's job had been easy. Now they were more active and he would have to wary of them as it worked. Fortunately they seemed to be absorbed in their own concerns so it and it's partners might go undiscovered yet. Smiling grimly at it's weapon, a chain whip with a paintbrush on the end, it appraised it's methodology critically. The range of it's weapon far surpassed the other two's, and despite the seemingly unwieldy appearance of the chain whip anyone with sufficient skill could control it like a part of their own body. Smirking coldly it dipped the brush into the paint lightly, not wanting any drops to fall below and alert the enemy. Uncoiling the whip it snapped it's arm forward leaving the whip to trail across the far wall, leaving streaks of paint. It repeated the motion again and again, untiring, soon covering the wall in white paint and completing the section it was to finish first. As it summoned the whip back to himself with a flick of it's wrist, it grinned again. This was kinda fun.

"Commander!" Maya, who was still being harassed by the two women looked at Aoba desperately, virtually begging for help. Blowing her a small kiss and shrugging, indicating that there was nothing he could do Aoba settled back to watch the show. Blushing at his kiss, and smiling softly, the female tech was startled when the two senior women closed in further, effectively sealing her from view.

"So what are you going to do on your little date Maya? Or should that be _to_ your little date, hmmm?" Blushing to the roots of her brown hair, Maya wriggled out of her Commander's grasp trying to sound enraged instead of just embarrassed. Shigeru choked.

"Commander Katsuragi!" Ritsuko clicked her tongue absently, deciding to tease her friend instead of just her panicked protege.

"Not everyone is like you Misato. Most people wait until at least the third date." One could almost see the cat ears pop out on her head. "But you-"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Misato had spun away from traumatising Maya and grabbed her faux blonde friend by her lab coat, shaking her back and forth.

"Oh nothing, nothing. Just that you are perhaps more eager than most, Misato..." Whiskers appeared to complement the ears, but the rest of her sentence was drowned out as the Commander began shaking her back and forth so fast the Doctor had turned into a white and blonde blur, screaming incoherent rage all the while.

The third ninja warrior stood in the shadows, sweatdropping lightly when the commander of the enemy shook her friend so fast she created a small sonic boom. Shaking it's Rei shaped head the figure returned to equipping itself with it's armament. Unlike it's partners it had decided that to terminate the target with extreme prejudice was the most assured way to victory. Ergo, it had decided that to terminate the target - the target being any non-white coloured wall in Nerv HQ - it would use all the martial arts knowledge at it's disposal. It grunted with satisfaction as it finished strapping the last paintbrush to it's body, satisfied with it's decision. As it stood, extending it's body out of it's crouch, any who had looked into the shadows would have seen, two paint brushes strapped tot he soles of it's feet, tow extending from the back of his hands like claws, one on each elbow and one on each knee. Balancing delicately, it dipped each paintbrush in the white emulsion, then proceeded to unleash whoop-ass on the wall behind itself. In a matter of seconds the grey canvas had been covered in the white paint. A moment of silent celebration for the ninja ended as it quietly backflipped off the top tier onto a lower level when it was sure no one was listening. The targets had fallen to his martial prowess.

Absent-mindedly dropping her friend to the floor, Misato Katsuragi halted, sniffing delicately. Left eye twitching in fear and the smell of fresh paint clear in her nostrils, she pivoted on her heal to examine the command deck.

"DAMN HIM!" Startled out of their reposes by their superior's enraged cry the others looked around wildly, trying to find the cause of her rage. Pure white met their incredulous gazes. Leaping to their feet they spun around in shock staring at the walls that had been a soft hue of blue just a few seconds previously. Misato growled in incoherent fury. "He did it AGAIN! This means war dammit!"

Shoji looked up from his manga which he had been fixating on for so long and with such attention that the ninja had mistaken him for some misshaped statue, or perhaps part of the Magi system and painted him white just to be sure. He hadn't noticed

"What's wrong? Why are you all staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

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"ARGH! Why are we doing this again?"

"Because if we don't you're lady love will maim us." Touji roared in anger and took a swipe at Kensuke, not appreciating his friend's deadpan humour. Mari laughed from her position, sat on the bench nearby. The four of them were awaiting the girls arrival, stood or sat at a bench on the promenade, under the shade of the trees. Shinji watched as his normally track-suited friend scratch irritably at his yukata, complaining for the umpteenth time that it was too hot for such a garment. Sat next to the jock's little sister he smiled absently as she giggled at the actions of her brother. He had been surprised when Touji had arrived, carrying the little girl on his fake shoulder, but apparently she had insisted on coming along despite her weak condition and Touji didn't have the heart to put her in a wheelchair when she asked him not to. Dressed in a soft green yukata with a wide bright forest green obi and leaves picked out on the fabric, she looked like the opposite of her brother. While her costume for the night comprised of light, strong colours his yukata was mostly black with a navy blue obi. The only thing that stayed the same was the pattern of leaves on the fabric, though not the colours they were displayed in. Kensuke had opted for a warm brown coloured yukata, with an obi the colour of polished walnut.

Shinji himself was dressed in the only yukata he had. He had little occasion to wear one so there was no need for more than one in his possession and while this one was well worn enough to be comfortable, it was by no means threadbare. Blue as dark as his eyes, with blue cherry blossoms cascading down the sides and a sky blue obi. He felt more than a little uncomfortable. It was the first time in a long while that he had dressed formally.

Ignoring the squabbling two as best he could, Shinji leaned back and closed his eyes feeling the warm sunlight on his face as it filtered through the swaying branches of the trees above. Despite the previous night being stormy, the weather had improved dramatically during the early morning and if the young pilot had opened his eyes he would have seen that there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"There you are!" Hikari's voice made him snap his eyes open in an automatic fear response: he wanted to know where his predator was dammit. Unfortunately his position meant he was looking almost directly at the sun when he did and resultantly momentarily blinded himself with a yelp. While he frantically rubbed his tearing eyes he heard the rushed footsteps of the girl's arrive near the bench he was currently writhing on. Shading his eyes and blinking rapidly to try and rid himself of the huge purple after image that was taking up most of his vision Shinji hesitantly looked at the new arrivals. Hikari, with her hair in the braid that Touji had so silently admired, wore a long flowing yukata of white with a pale pink obi and was looking at Touji as if it was the first time she had seen him. A quick glance at the object of her affections showed a similar response, made all the more profound by the way Touji was apparently unable to speak. Or breathe. Turning his attention back to the girls, Shinji found Rei in a pale blue yukata and red obi, matching her hair and eye colour respectively. Even seeing her in something other than her typical school uniform hadn't prepared him for seeing her look like this. The girl herself however looked a little uncomfortable.

"You look great Rei." Smiling reassuringly Shinji spoke, hoping to put her more at ease with her new attire. Blushing minutely at the praise Rei bowed her head, whispering her thanks. Continuing to smile Shinji turned to the last of the group. And nearly fainted.

The young boy had frequently heard the volatile girl remark that there was no way she would ever wear one of the traditional Japanese costumes, so he had expected her to turn up in a sundress or something more western in style. He was not, therefore, prepared for her attire. A pale red yukata, bordering on pink, wrapped with a wide obi of a vibrant blue that matched her bright eyes the yukata was worked with a trail of sakura blossoms similar to his own, except worked in a darker shade of red was clothing her frame, while her neural interface clips that permanently held up her hair had been replaced with a crimson ribbon holding her hair back from her face, barring a few strands that fell forward framing her cheekbones. She looked gorgeous. Suddenly finding the simple process of inhaling and exhaling inordinately difficult Shinji paused a moment trying to oxygenate his brain. It wasn't until he saw the blush erupting onto her face that he realised that he had been staring at her for far too long to be easily excused. Tearing his eyes away he felt his own flush starting to creep up his cheeks. Hurriedly looking around he saw that Hikari and Touji were still absorbed in each other's presence while Mari watched them. Rei was seemingly paying little attention to her surroundings and Kensuke looked preoccupied, staring down the path from which the girls had come. Flittering his gaze back to Asuka he found her studying the tree's by the path, her rampant blush still far from faded.

"Let's go!" Everyone turned to the little girl who was now tugging on her big brother's yukata, trying to get his attention. Looking down Touji broke into a grin and bent down to hoist the girl up onto his shoulder, while she laughed enjoying her high vantage. Hikari giggled and came closer to greet Mari who looked overjoyed to see her again. Watching this the others began moving slowly towards the entrance to the festival, though Kensuke, for once without his ever-present camera, still looked reluctant. Shinji waited at the back while the others moved forward, waiting for Asuka to draw level with him. She refused to meet his eyes leaving them walking side by side, seemingly ignoring one another.

"Y-you look beautiful Asuka." Shinji cursed his stutter but was satisfied that he had said what he wanted to and fell back into the awkward silence, swallowing the lump in his throat. He thought he saw Asuka stumble out of the corner of his eye at her words, but couldn't be sure since he was looking at the floor in front of them.

"Thank you." Her answer was almost a whisper, but Shinji heard it. And was satisfied.

Soon enough their group came to the entrance to the festival grounds. Past the boulevard and the food areas a thin stream trickled it's way over the rocks towards a larger lake. One of the relics of the Angel Wars it was not nearly as large as the lakes created in Eva Unit 0's self destruction or the repeated use of N2 mines, it was still and impressive size, and when Tokyo-3 had been reconstructed over the remnants of the original city it had been build around the new lake, incorporating it into the cities plan. The wide park that surrounded it made up the centre of the new city. The long wooden bridge that crossed the creek to the area of festivity was thronged with people, in groups of two and three, crossing back and forth, the vast majority in traditional dress. Few groups were as large as their's though. The bridge had long poles stood upright at the railings every two meters or so, with small bowls at the top and little faggots within. Later, when it got dark these would be lit and the small torches would illuminate the bridge. Some small children in plainer, more contemporary clothes were winding their way through the adults legs, giggling. Shinji watched as a little brunette in a sundress who looked younger than Mari was swooped up by her father and carried, laughing to her mother who laughingly received her with wide arms. He smiled softly at the sight. In the more crowded area they had entered Rei had dropped back to walk next to Shinji her hands folded before her, so that now the brown haired youth was flanked by the two girls. Leaning over to Shinji Rei asked quietly.

"Do you regret not having such interaction with you're parents?" Shinji looked at her and shook his head slowly, somehow sensing that Asuka was listening to his answer as much as Rei.

"I used to regret it deeply Rei. But now even though I still regret it, I am glad that others have the chance y'know? I'm happy watching the young girl laughing with her mom and dad. I'm happy that some people have the chances that I didn't get." Looking down, somewhat embarrassed by the insight he had provided into himself Shinji awaited her response, felling Asuka relax at his side, not bothering to wonder how he knew she had been tense in the first place. Rei paused at his answer before hesitantly asking another question in response.

"Shinji...do you resent my relationship with you're father?" Shocked by the inquiry Shinji's head snapped back up as the group edged forwards through the crowd. Looking at Rei's nearly impassive face he could tell she was worried by this matter. Looking at her ruby eyes and remembering all too easily when they had been shedding tears in his father's office he answered truthfully.

"No Rei, I don't." He watched as she nodded, imperceptibly relieved by his answer to her query. Continuing to walk along the wooden bridge they had just set their feet on the soft earth at the far side when they heard the girl's voice.

"Kensuke!" Turning around curiously they scanned the bridge looking for the owner of the voice, Kensuke himself looking up in surprise. Quickly fixing on a girl with long hazel hair gently pushing her way through the crowds gently, making slow progress against the throng and apologising often and profusely. Eventually arriving in front of the group she was panting a little and her face was flushed. Shinji blinked taking in her pale yellow yukata and golden obi, decorated with sun flowers, and wide green eyes. Her hair was set in a high ponytail and trailed down to her waist. Her face burst into a smile when she saw Kensuke and she hurried towards him, obviously ecstatic to see him. Both Touji and Asuka had similar expressions, combinations of having just bitten into the sweetest lemon imaginable and the kind of disbelief normally reserved for leprechauns suddenly appearing from nowhere and spontaneously breaking into opera. Hikari herself looked a little shocked and Rei...well Rei was still mostly impassive, but she watched with a mild curiosity. Kensuke turned away from talking with the joyful girl and took her hand leading her to the group where he made introductions.

"Ah, guys this is Tessa. She, uh, goes to our school. We met a couple of days ago and I asked her to meet us here if she was free." The girl beamed at that before becoming abruptly shy at meeting the rest of the group. Touji and Asuka were still stunned. "Ah, Tessa I guess you already know the pilot's and Touji, but this is out Class Rep Hikari Horaki and that's Touji's little sister Mari." Kensuke was blushing violently. The hazel haired girl, now known to be called Tessa bowed politely to the group.

"Pleased to meet you all." Her voice seemed soft and quiet, though Shinji wasn't sure if that was because she was nervous about meeting so many new people or whether she was just shy. Touji suddenly snapped out of his stupor and punched the sky with the arm not supporting Mari.

"Atta boy Ken! Way to go buddy!" Both Kensuke and Tessa blushed deeply at the jock's words, but smiled when both Hikari and Mari began to scold Touji, who suddenly looked hunted. Poised to continue on with the others, where the Forth Child was trying to weasel his way out of the lecture he was receiving, Shinji noticed that Asuka was still staring incredulously at nothing, frozen in place. Lightly tapping the girl on the shoulder Shinji called her name, trying to rouse her from her mini-coma.

"A-Asuka? Are you ok?" The girl shook herself and stared at the boy who stood next to her for a few seconds, before striding off after the rest of the group. Shinji heard her muttering under her breath as he made to follow her, but didn't comment because he was fairly sure she hadn't wanted him to hear.

"...even the camera-dweeb's got someone! I refuse to give up! Damn camera-dweeb..."

Soon enough the group reached the centre of the festival area, a long street filled with small stalls and stores, long wires of lightbulbs threaded between them and more of the long poled ready to be lit, the same as the bridge before, and paused.

"Me, Mari and Hikari are gonna go get some cotton candy. We'll see you guys later." Nodding to the rest of the group Touji and his little group broke away and were soon lost in the crowd, with only Mari's swaying figure to pin-point them. just before they were out of sight, Shinji saw Hikari grab Touji's arm. Turning back to the others, he found Kensuke explaining that he and Tessa were going to look at the art works they had put up on a stall further down the street of temporary stalls. They too quickly broke away leaving Rei to quietly explain that she intended to listen to the musicians at the far side of the festival area, near the lakeside. Her disappearance left Asuka and Shinji alone, both still a little stunned at how fast the group had disintegrated. Quickly enough though they realised that they were indeed alone. Together. Staring at the dry soil beneath his feet, Shinji spoke hesitantly.

"So...what are you gonna do?" Asuka shook her head slightly, no more interested in meeting his eyes than he was hers.

"I don't know. Hikari was the one who knew where everything was." She shrugged lightly. Shinji swallowed.

"Uh...well...we could just wander around...see what's here?" His breath nearly choked him when he said 'we', before he continued with his softly spoken sentence. Asuka met his gaze briefly, before looking away again.

"Y-yeah...that'd be nice." Trying to cover her stammer, she grabbed his arm, as much to simply be able to feel him as to distract him and pulled him into the crowds.

Hours passed, and Shinji found joy in simply watching Asuka smile and laugh, as she watched the antics of the people around them. He watched her blush when he bought her cotton candy and felt the silky smoothness of her lips on his cheek when he won her a plush toy at a ring toss booth. All the while, simply happy to be in her company. They walked the length and breadth of the festival stalls time and again, passing their time together, while the sun set over the lake, staining the sky and the few thin clouds a dusty red. They watched together as the torches were lit and the flames licked and danced atop their poles, illuminating the festival with a soft golden glow. Shinji watched Asuka clap her hands in glee, when the strings of multicolored lights turned on some time later, making the festival street shine like a carnival and went willingly when she took his wrist and dragged him to listen to the small orchestra play a German classical piece.

Shinji watched the girl he loved standing in the torchlight, eyes sparkling like a wondering child, as she listened to the piece, her small plush cat-rabbit-thing tucked behind her slender arm and could only repeat the refrain he had thought all through the day since he seen her by the boulevard bench.

_'Beautiful...'_ As they listened Shinji noticed Rei standing under a nearby tree, listening intently to the music and watching the currents of people that flowed around her, occasionally picking curiously at a stick of cotton candy she held in her pale hand. Looking around further he saw Touji, his little sister perched in the crook of his arm now and Hikari, who was contentedly enveloped in his free arm. They seemed to be as much lost in each other as they were in the sweet orchestral music. Smiling he looked further, picking out Kensuke and Tessa, standing at the railings tentatively holding hands and blushing while they listened.

_'All here...'_ As the music wound down and the orchestra took a quick break, a hand came down on Shinji's shoulder startling him. Trying to stifle his small 'eep' he turned around, along with Asuka who had heard his not so muffled exclamation.

"Misato!" Their guardian and Commander grinned at the two of them and gave them a peace sign, wearing a purple yukata and violet obi, while Hyugga stood next to her smiling, wearing a darker formal set of clothing. The low lighting made it hard to tell what colour it was exactly.

"Hey kids! Havin' fun? We only got her a while ago." Asuka cocked her head curiously. It was past 10pm, now that the sun had completely vanished behind the tree line on the far side of the river.

"Why, what took you so long Misato? I thought you got replaced at five for your week off?" Misato's honest smile stretched into a wide and somewhat unnerving smirk. Hyugga sighed quietly remembering the reason the Commander had insisted that her shift mates had stayed behind and she had called him to ask him to meet her at work rather than at her apartment as they had planned.

"Oh, I just had a little matter to take care of at Nerv..."

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"WHAT THE HOLY HELL!" Gendo Ikari was displeased. He was displeased for many reasons. He was displeased because his hangover headache had not faded and was still drumming out a tattoo on the back of his eyeballs. He was displeased because his hair refused to be tamed and was still matted quite firmly to the side of his head, making him look much like a hyena with one ear. He was displeased because he had slipped out of his office to the toilet and returned to find his 'old friend' had been released from the hospital ward with a light concussion, had removed his paperweight and was leaning on the corner of his desk, once again humming a jaunty tune and running a comb through his silver hair. But most of all he was displeased because-

"Why Ikari, it seems the new Commander took advantage of our trip to the cafeteria and has taken the time to paint you're office neon pink. Oh, and the System Sephirothica are tastefully done in florescent green. Marvelous." Starting to hum once again Fuyutsuki began to run the comb through his hair, taking care to avoid the thick white bandage wrapped around his head. Gendo spun towards him, took the comb off him and snapped it in half impassively, before returning it to his old teacher. Fuyutsuki shrugged and removed another comb from his other sleeve and continued. It didn't really matter if Ikari took this one either.

_'After all I have two more in the shoulder holsters and one more strapped to my leg.'_ The tune suddenly got that much jauntier.

Gendo's eyebrow twitched.

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"Did you hear that?" Hyugga suddenly asked, looking around curiously.

"Hear what?" Misato turned to look at him in worry. Hyugga frowned slightly, cocking his head to the side and scratching the side of his head in confusion.

"I just thought I heard a scream...Must be me." He shrugged and turned back to the rest of the group grinning. Misato tapped him on the shoulder and gestured behind him, directing his attention to a Ritsuko Akagi, who was holding two can's of beer and a can of coffee, dressed in a gold yukata and sunburst yellow obi. Waving to her Misato spoke to the children before her.

"Gotta go kids. Have fun now. But not too much, ok?" Smiling cheekily she dragged Hyugga off towards the good doctor, who waved at the children before handing out the drinks. Shinji waved back, then turned his attention to holding back Asuka before she tried to maim her guardian for her last comment. Spinning her back around he directed her attention to the orchestra who were once again setting up for music. This time however the conductor turned to the audience, which by now was quite large. It seemed that most people had gravitated to the orchestra at the late hour. Set in a separate field near the lake side, cherry blossom trees sprung up in random places throughout the field of grass that came up to the shins.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now pleased to perform some pre-Second Impact music. I believe it is perfect for dancing to and encourage you all to do so." Smiling at the crowd as he finished he turned back to the players who had now finished setting up and were poised ready to begin. As the conductor began to slowly move his arms, a swell of quiet music arose from the orchestra breaking upon the audience like a wave upon the shore. The people around them began to separate into couples, so that soon Asuka and Shinji appeared to be the only ones not swaying softly to the gentle music. Looking around him at the dancing couples, Shinji was startled to feel a tug on his sleeve. Turning back to Asuka he found her with an expression on her face he could not identify as she stared at him. Suddenly she brought herself closer to him, so that she pressed against him, almost making him stumble back in surprise. Shifting her grip to his arms just below the shoulder Asuka held him so he couldn't move away from her. Still expressionless she looked at him, before slowly leaning her head in the crook of his neck. Numbly Shinji brought his arms up and held her, his arms wrapped around her body. Relaxing and sighing against him, Asuka released his upper arms and lay her hands against his chest, letting him hold her as they began to gently sway.

Slowly rotating in the field, the girl of his dreams held against his body, Shinji's eyes wondered the field, looking without seeing, just content to rest his cheek against her soft red hair and hold her. Absently he saw Kensuke dancing with Tessa, before they slipped out of his line of sight, behind other couples. As he looked he saw Aoba and Maya dancing together, neither of them dressed formally but in a white sundress and a smart shirt and pants instead, looking lost in each other's embrace. A flash of pale blue caught his eye, drawing it to Rei, who was stood at the sidelines with Mari at her side, the former seemingly showing the little girl the stars. That probably mean that Hikari and Touji were dancing too.

_'Everyone important to me is here...'_ Looking down at the bundle of red hair in his arms he smiled and hugged her closer. His movement made her look up, curious at his actions. Looking down into her sparkling blue eyes, he could see the world. The pale moon hanging above them shone in her cerulean eyes and he was suddenly more conscious of the feel of the grass sweeping against his legs, the softness of the girl in his arms while everything else seemed to fade away leaving just the two of them. Shinji forgot about the field and everyone in it, forgot the festival, forgot Tokyo-3, forgot everything except the girl in his arms and the music. Soon enough the music faded to.

He found they had stopped moving now and were staring into each other's eyes, her breath cool on his face, washing past his lips. He found himself edging closer, losing himself in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to dive in and lose himself. Watching her eye's widen briefly, before she began to mimic him, raising her lips to his. Feeling her gentle, moist lips cover his own, soft as the cherry blossoms on her dress. Tasting her sweetness and taking in her delicate scent and hearing her moan quietly into his mouth as he massaged her lips with his own, Shinji dove and was content to never resurface. Hesitantly her lips opened and her tongue snaked out, licking his lips timidly, requesting entrance. Inhaling sharply, he opened his mouth, tentatively touching her tongue with his own. As he did Asuka stiffened and pushed him away, arms holding herself and tears in her eyes. Looking at the shocked boy, she ran out of the clearing, running well in the restricting yukata. Watching her go in stunned fascination, Shinji was frozen, before he heard the voice behind him.

"You gonna let her go man? Go after her dammit!" A lighter, seemingly female voice added her agreement. Not knowing the voices and not bothering to look at the strangers who had spoken he took off after the girl, eyes fixed only on where she had disappeared, hearing the rustle as he ran through the long grass.

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He found her in the shadows, far from the rest of the festivities. Down by the lake side near the reeds, far away from the nearest torch, leaving only the light from the pale moon and stars to guide him. Standing in the reeds the girl didn't turn around even though she must have heard him approach. An arms length away from her he halted unsure what to do next.

"Why did you follow me Shinji?" The question was whispered as the redhead clutched hands to her chest refusing to turn and look at him.

"Why did you let me kiss you?" The words leapt out before he could stop them, but he didn't really regret the question since it was the one foremost on his mind. And he wasn't sure if he could tell her why just yet why he had followed her. The silence stretched on.

"Did you kiss me Shinji? Did I kiss you first? I can't remember..." Sweeping around to face him, Shinji saw the smile on her face, despite the tears running down her cheeks. Trying desperately to keep her smile, Asuka walked a few steps closer looking him in the eye. There was no point avoiding his eyes anymore, not with what she was about to say. About to do. Her walls were crashing down, and she knew she had to do this now, knew she had to touch him to make sure he was real, to take a piece of him even though she could never have the whole. Stepping closer she forced her smile wider ignoring the tears that flowed.

"Could you ever like someone like me Shinji? Someone who can't bear to be near you in case you make her say things she knows she shouldn't say? Someone who can't bear to be away from you for even a second?" The tears intensified and she bit off a sob before it could begin. "Could you really want to spend any time with someone as broken, as scarred as me?" Almost absently she traced the path of the nearly invisible scar on her arm, the only sign left of her ill-fated battle with the MP Evas. "I asked myself that every night for so long...and I always knew the answer. I can't stand it anymore...being near you, but never being with you. I can't do it." The sobs finally broke through and she threw herself into the boy in front of her, unable to halt the crying, while his arms automatically held her to him. Looking into his face again, she was so close she shared his breath. "Just..just let me kiss you once more...just let me have that little memory...please..."

"...No." Smiling softly again at the answer she had secretly expected Asuka nodded, making to move away from him but his arm tightened holding him to her. Feeling his finger's light caress on her cheek, brushing away her tears she looked up at his face.

"Asuka...the reason... I came after you. The reason I kissed you...is because I love you Asuka... I can't give you any little parts of me. You already own everything I am..." Trying his best to speak from his heart and re-assure Asuka at the same time made him sure he sounded like a Wednesday morning soap opera that Misato favoured, but it was the best he could do. "I love you Asuka. I need you near me...I want you with me...please stay..." Asuka's mouth was open and moving, but no sound issued forth. Eventually giving up, she threw herself into his chest again, sobbing loudly, not even trying to hold back the flood as he held her in his arms.

Eventually, an amount of time later, she calmed down and pushed weakly against him signalling she wanted him to loosen his embrace. As she pulled back, only a little he saw an honest smile on her face. Between the red eyes and the tears that continued to streak over her pale cheeks, her smile was the most glorious he had ever seen. She leant closer to his face, whispering to him, when their lips hovered perhaps an inch apart.

"...Baka...I love you too...my baka..." And she pressed her lips to his, letting him taste her salty tears, her warm breath and the indescribably sweetness that was herself.

Under the moonlight in the reeds by a lake two loves held each other and swayed to the music only they could hear. And the fireflies dances around them, following the eddies and currents of the silent lake.

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And done! Yatta! Woo! Go me! The story that consumed my life has now finished. But before I go there are four things I need to say.

Firstly I apologize to all who read my, ahem, 'authors note' - insert quote notations with fingers as appropriate - at the end of Limitations. I was pissed off and overreacted to the nth degree. Any criticisms are by no means welcome, but it's something we all have to learn to accept to grow as writers. So I apologize (especially to the guy who's head I ripped off. No vic it wasn't you.)

Secondly I'll tell you now that this story may be re-posted in a couple of weeks in it's Perfect Grade incarnation. Basically this means any spelling errors and any grammatical problems I find should be fixed - including the stupid sentences that make sense but sound so dumb they really shouldn't, y'know the ones I mean - as well as me fleshing out any scenes I feel I missed or facts I failed to mention early enough. Those who have already read and reviewed really need not do again in this second incarnation, as any changes should be minor. I would indeed 'welcome', sigh, any opinions as to the stuff that needs fleshing. Flame anything and I will send in the Jesus Robots. Don't test me people, I'm a man on the edge.

Thirdly, the ending will remain the same. Chances are I will not do an epilogue, and if I do it certainly won't be in the near future. Sigh, however if there is something you desperately want confirmation of, or clearing up or whatever, then say so and I'll consider it. Saying 'I want an epilogue' does not count. And if you don't like it you can kiss my pink perfectly formed behind. In fact give it a little smooch anyway. Go ahead. ;)

Finally I want to thank everyone who reviewed and gave me the desire to finish this story in a stupidly short amount of time. Without you all this story would still be in it's first chapter and going no where. So I thank you all. Until inspiration, coughyeahrightcough, strikes again that will be it from me for the now.

Thank you and goodnight.

_Ja Ne_


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